Pessimistic vs. Hopeful

When I was a kid, I was like most of my peers – I loved my birthday! I got cake, presents, a party, and so much more. Who wouldn't love that?

But when I was around 12 or 13 years old, I found my birthday expectations were rarely met, leaving me feeling frustrated and disappointed on my big day. (And to be honest, I didn't really like the attention.) So over time, I stopped caring about my birthday. Because I knew that if I dared to hope for something fun for my day, it would only get dashed by reality.

Sadly, many Christians approach their faith like 14-year-old Erin. They take a pessimistic approach, assuming God must not like them as much as others, or they don't deserve anything good, or if they pray for something wonderful God won't answer their prayer. So they avoid hope like a toddler avoids brussels sprouts.

Withered or Blossomed?

We are in week 2 of a five-week series called What's Your Mindset? Last week, we looked at the dichotomy of a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. This week, I want to look at the effect of shifting from a pessimistic mindset to a hope-filled one.

To guide our discussion, I want to look at Proverbs 13:12, which says...

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12, ESV)

When hope seems out of reach, we become jaded and pessimistic about life. Scientific studies have shown the devastating effects of negativity and stress upon the body and brain. So when you have a pessimistic mindset about God's love or power, it causes your "heart" to be sick and your faith to shrivel.

But notice the second half of the verse: when your desirous hope is fulfilled, you feel full of life, like a tree in summer at full blossom, experiencing the "abundant life" Jesus talked about in John 10:10.

But how do you move from a withering pessimism to a blossoming hope? By looking at the empty tomb of Jesus.

Hope Resurrected

On that first "Good" Friday, the hope of the disciples of Jesus wasn't just deferred, it was absolutely crushed by the cross. Everything those twelve young men had envisioned after three years of following Jesus was utterly ruined by three nails.

And yet, if you read the book of Acts, you see eleven of these disciples live excitedly, traveling the world to tell people about Jesus, despite the persecution they faced. What shifted them from the pessimistic mindset of that awful Friday into the hope-filled actions found in the book of Acts? The resurrection of Christ!

When they realized the power of God was displayed through the empty tomb, they were bursting with joy, filled with hope. They knew they could face anything because the empty tomb showed that even when things were at their bleakest, God wasn't done.

I have no idea what you might be facing right now. But if it feels like God has let you down, know that He isn't done. As the old country/Christian cliché says: "If you're still breathin', God's still workin'." Biblical hope knows God's not done and that He wins in the end. If you take that mindset into your home, workplace, classroom, or wherever you might go, you'll find the fruit of the Spirit pouring out of you because you'll be like a summer tree in full blossom.