I would prefer not to sound pessimistic, but sometimes I grow weary of the prevailing negativity in society. The abundance of stressful news can all feel overwhelming as it continues to compound the negativity daily. Illnesses are spreading globally, jobs are disappearing, the economy is struggling, and divisions within our nation are deeper than ever. It’s easy to be consumed by the negativity, fear, and anxiety that seem to overpower many people. Many Christians are on edge, feeling discouraged, and are prone to anger. If we give our ear to the news of the world, we may even start to question whether we can rebuild a sense of purpose and meaning amongst such chaos.

With all that’s happening, it’s crucial to turn to God and seek His guidance in finding the good among all the hardships. Let us exert every effort to continue with a positive outlook that we have in Christ. Maintaining a mindset rooted in faith involves actively seeking the positive among the negative. We must firmly believe that God remains sovereign and actively involved. It is essential to recognize His presence in our circumstances, knowing that He is with us and working plans out for His best interest. By cultivating a positive attitude, we embrace the fight for faith because negativity never leads to a fulfilling life. With Christ, we can possess an unwavering optimism regarding our future, knowing that our hope is secure.

Optimism is NOT:

• Denial of reality.
• Pretending that everything is fine and disregarding any issues or challenges.
• Merely maintaining a positive attitude regardless of circumstances.
• It is not being naïve; blindly ignoring potential obstacles.

Optimism IS:

• Confidence in a positive, successful, and biblical future.
• Assurance that God is involved and working on our behalf.
• Believing that God is orchestrating something good is on the horizon.
• Unwavering expectation that God is actively working in every situation.

We may have an issue with an impossible boss, a financial set back, trouble with educating and motivating our kids, or a painful break up. May we remember that “…for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Among negative circumstances, there exists the potential to cultivate a positive purpose. As a child of God, we have the privilege of living with the unwavering belief that our compassionate God is actively at work in every situation, ensuring our ultimate benefit. Consider how we process our thoughts regarding the future. How do we envision the days ahead within our thought life? If our thoughts are predominantly filled with negativity, fear, worry, anxiety, and a constant influx of negative news, then those thoughts will shape the course of our life. What consumes our mind tends to control and influence what directs our life. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”. If we wake up with a negative attitude, a distorted perspective, and a pessimistic filter, our perception of everything becomes contaminated with pessimism. Our life is generally moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. If our predominant thoughts revolve around the belief that the world is perpetually in turmoil, people are untrustworthy, and we are harboring resentment towards our circumstances, then it’s highly unlikely that we will conclude our day on a positive note. We certainly won’t find ourselves declaring that we had the best day ever.

What thoughts are currently dominating your mind?

Pessimistic individuals often interpret negative occurrences as personal and something that will be ongoing. They may attribute blame to themselves for any unfavorable circumstances. Frequently, they believe it is because:

• They lack value or worth.
• They are incapable or incompetent.
• They do not deserve anything good.
• The current hardship is permanent.
• A good life is unattainable for them.

After a while, this individual gradually adopts a victim mentality that becomes deeply ingrained in their perception. They perceive the economy as bleak, convinced they will never secure their desired job. However, it’s important to emphasize that this is not the plan God has for us. Experiencing contentment, satisfaction, blessings, and optimism is not dependent on external circumstances. It is a state of mind, a matter of perspective.

Consider what occupies your thoughts. Do they tend to lean towards faith and God? Do they reflect optimism and a belief in His power and goodness being active in your life? Sometimes, even the most optimistic individuals must actively fight to maintain an attitude of faith because, by nature, we often lean towards realism, concern, or negativity. If you find yourself in that state, it is important to redirect your focus by nurturing your faith and starving the negativity. Remember, what you consistently feed tends to grow, while what you neglect tends to wither away.

It’s a good idea to pray about who God would want you to have in your life. Some people are very toxic and if you are not in the right frame of mind to have that person in your life, then it may be a good idea to have appropriate distance and pray about the situation. There are some people that only have negative things to talk about and they give mental pictures of how the world is falling apart. It might be time to starve the negativity that surrounds you and feed your faith. The best way to go about it, is by studying a rich portion of scripture. Don’t just read it but pray about it and study it.

• Read through it.
• Understand the context.
• Who wrote it.
• Who was it written to.
• Why was it written.
• What’s happening in the chapters before and after the portion you chose.
• Study it.
• Meditate on it.
• Let it marinate and start to renew your mind.
• Live it, show action.

Romans 8 is a very rich portion of scripture. To understand Romans 8, we can go back to Romans 7 and basically Paul goes on a rant to say how he doesn’t understand why he does what he does. The reason why this is such a rich portion of scripture, is because it shows Paul talking negatively in chapter 7 and then he makes a shift towards what is positive in chapter 8.

In verse 1, he says, ‘Therefore now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ If you’re in Christ, there’s no judgment for your sins. Your sins have been forgiven. Paul makes this hard turn as he starts to renew his mind. He goes on to say how the law was powerless because of our weak flesh/minds, but what the law could not do, ‘…God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.’ (v.3) The mind that’s on the spirit lives for the things of the Spirit. He says if you’re led by the Spirit, then you are a child of God. If you’re focusing on the Spirit, your mind will be at peace.

Paul then goes on to say something that may be missed if it’s read too quickly. Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Think about that for a second. What are you suffering? What are you enduring? What is painful? Paul says that he looks at his life and considers his present sufferings something not worth comparing. Why? Because of the glory that will be revealed to him. You may say that other people don’t know what you are going through. Sometimes I wonder why God made Paul endure so much and one reason could be so that we would get the real meaning of this scripture.

Here’s a reminder of what Paul went through (2 Corinthians 11:23-28):

• He was imprisoned many times.
• He was beaten 5 times with 40 lashes.
• He was beaten with rods 3 times.
• He was hit with rocks until death was at his door.
• He went shipwrecked & spent a night & day in open sea.
• He was betrayed.
• He was left for dead on the side of the road.
• He was flogged and was exposed to death again and again.

This individual, who also proclaimed that our current sufferings pale in comparison to the future glory, provides a Scripture that can shift anyone’s focus away from their present circumstances and nourish their faith.

Where are you experiencing pain right now? What have you lost? In what areas of your life are you facing deep hardships that deeply trouble your soul? Scripture teaches us that the difficulties we’re facing today are building the strength and momentum we will need for tomorrow. This temporary trial cannot be compared to the abundant blessings and the glorious revelation that God has prepared for us.

We should maintain an unwavering expectation that our loving God is actively working in every situation for our ultimate good. Our ultimate good is what He sees that will benefit His Kingdom. We must allow God’s Word to renew our minds because the course of our lives is always determined by the strength of our thoughts.

As we carry on in Romans 8:26, it says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” We definitely need this, because many times we can feel extremely incapable. How do we lead our family through this? How can we be the best witness at work or to friends and family? We second guess ourselves all the time and we don’t feel prepared, but then we can remind ourselves that Jesus will “never leave me, nor forsake me” (Hebrews 13:5). His Spirit helps us when we’re weak and broken. We can also remember that this is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and dwells within us. (Romans 8:11)

We may be feeling weak, overwhelmed, discouraged or we can’t take one more minute of what we’re dealing with. People will tell us that God helps those who help themselves, but take another look into the Bible, because the Bible doesn’t say that. The Bible says over and over how God helps those who need help, who are weak, who are broken, and who cry out to Him.

• Are you hurting?

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3

• Are you confused?

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

• Are you discouraged?

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:11

• Are you anxious?

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Ephesians 2:14

• Are you weak?

“The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”  Exodus 15:2

Romans 8 continues with verse 28, which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This states that in all things, whether they are good, bad, or ugly, God works for the good of those who love Him. Furthermore, the Almighty God declares in this verse that we have been called according to His purpose. If we’ve ever entertained the thought that God is not actively involved in our life, we can be sure that’s a falsehood propagated by the devil! God has intimate knowledge of every strand of hair on our head, and He is actively working in the midst of every situation. Even when our adversary intends harm, our God steps in behind the scenes and transforms it for His good. Such is the faithfulness of our God. Although we may not always perceive His presence, we can have confidence that He is always there, unwavering, and ever-present. He is eternally good, constantly advocating for us, and continually by our side, pouring out His love upon us.

We may not like what we’re going through, but we can change our focus by appreciating what God will produce out of this present pain. Some people go through horrific marriage struggles only to come out on the other side with a marriage that’s stronger than the day they met. God is working in all things, to bring about His good. We can believe by faith, that God can do exceedingly and abundantly more than all we ask or imagine.

I’m convinced that with challenging times, families will draw closer together and experience a deeper love for one another. Generosity abounds when Christians boldly live out their faith. The radiant light of the church will shine even brighter, and the harvest of souls will be abundant. All these blessings manifest as we exalt the name of Jesus in our moments of weakness and pain. When we stand firm in Christ, the overcoming power of His church will remain unwavering; His word stands as eternal truth. His presence remains constant, never departing from us, and He never, under any circumstances, forsake us.

Paul concludes Romans with words that make the devil cringe, and the child of God can smile until they see the Lord on High! Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, or anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wherever our path may lead, we can rest assured that God is present. Regardless of our actions, God’s love for us remains unwavering. No matter the circumstances that come about, God stands on our side. It is due to these truths that we can hold an unwavering expectation, firmly believing that our compassionate God is actively at work in every situation, orchestrating a future that shows us the works that He’s prepared for us in advance.

My prayer is that as the body of Christ, we continue to strengthen our faith by anchoring ourselves in the Word of God. May we maintain a positive and optimistic outlook, rooted in the understanding of our identity and the recognition that we have been called with a purpose. I pray that God continues to renew our minds with His truth. May we constantly reflect upon God’s goodness, allowing it to shape our perception of the world around us.