Believe there is hope because with God there is always hope!

Let's Not Forget About The Good Things

My dear friends let’s remember that bad news is always going to get the most attention. And to be fair, sometimes the bad news is very important and deserves to be told. Some stories and events are painful to encounter but we need to hear about them anyhow. We need to be aware of what is happening.

However, it is also important for us not to become so immersed in the stories of stress, strife, pain, friction, animosity and violence in our world that we become overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness and pessimism.

It is not irresponsible or unsympathetic to bear in mind that every day there are good, happy, positive, noble, uplifting and encouraging events occurring. Every day there are people who are engaged in helpful, noble, inspiring activities. Every day there are people joyfully serving others with genuinely loving hearts.

These positive stories may not be as sensational. These good and uplifting stories are often very simple and do not involve the inherent drama to draw us in like the negative stories. But they are real. These good activities are happening... all the time. It is helpful for us to keep these good activities in mind.

I know some of us hear the latest news stories and we have a sense of sadness and pain—maybe even fear—deep in our hearts. I can understand those feelings. But remember… the Light is still shining.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Christianity Is A Positive and Optimistic Faith

Every now and then I encounter someone who expresses the belief that Christianity is a negative religion involving negative thinking and a pessimistic view of reality.

I may hear something to this effect, “It is an ugly religion that seems to self-righteously wag a finger at everyone while speaking of sin, punishment and other negative concepts.”

It is true Christianity acknowledges the existence of sin and it recognizes that people commit sins and this creates a serious problem for us. And it is true in Christianity there is a recognition of problems, troubles, pain and turmoil in our world.

However, I believe Christianity is fundamentally positive, optimistic and hopeful. I believe this to be true because in Christianity there is, in Christ, a solution to the troubles and problems we encounter. I contend it is positive, optimistic and hopeful because in the Christian faith we recognize one of the most important truths of our existence is that God loves us and He provided a way for us to experience the ultimate victory of life forever, with Him!

God loves us in a way that is so complete and profound that it is beyond our comprehension. He has made it possible for us to experience an abundant life, a joyful life and a life of genuine meaning and purpose that, ultimately, never ends.

In my mind, this is describing the truths of an incredibly positive and optimistic faith.

We Can Choose Hope And Optimism

How we respond to the events of life matters. We can choose to respond with negativity and pessimism or we can choose to respond with hope and optimism. I understand there are certain sad and difficult events that will make a hopeful and optimistic response seem almost impossible. But even in these kinds of difficult situations it’s important for us to know that we still have a choice.

Our lives will be significantly impacted by these choices.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:35