Posted by Jim_Daly Oct 25, 2011
Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
According to some new research, individuals who regularly look at life from a positive perspective may likely do so because of “faulty” functioning of the brain.
In other words, those of us who are optimistic are, well, brain-damaged!
The study was conducted by scientists at the University College London. Based on the research findings, optimistic people tended to reject negative information, especially if it pertained to them.
As a self-acknowledged optimist, I’m inclined to reject these findings!
In all sincerity, brain research aside, the Christian has every reason to look to the future with hope and a joyful heart, even amidst very difficult times.
After all, it was Jesus Himself who told us that “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
I am a realist, and a man who understands the fallen nature of the temporal world. In my own life, many of the people I have loved have let me down. Promises have been made and broken. Dreams have not come true. I get it.
In the end, though, I know that the God who made me (and you!) holds all things together. Because He rules over all time and space, we might not always understand what the Lord is doing – but we trust that He knows, and that He’s in full and complete control of our circumstances. If you are weary or worried today, if you are looking to the future with dread and fear, you can take heart in Paul’s encouraging words:
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Yes, I am an optimistic Christian.
Could there be any other kind?
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