First question: Which of the three in the title are you? If you'd like a little help, let me give you a brief description of each.
Optimist: Sees the good and the possibilities in almost all situations. May even seem to be unrealistic at times.
Realist: Sees things "as they really are". What is possible is only what you can see and count on.
Pessimist: Sees the problems and pitfalls in most situations. May seem to think everything will end in disaster.
Does one of these seem to describe you? Here's another challenge. Ask three of your friends which of these categories would seem to fit you. Do you think their answer will correspond to how you see yourself?
What does this have to do with faith and life? Well, it seems that, when we view ourselves as one of these, we tend to discount those who may be of the other two. If you are a realist, you may think that the optimist puts too much hope in God coming through, and you may think that the pessimist is way too negative. If you are an optimist, the realist doesn't seem to think big enough or seem to step out in faith, and the pessimist really irritates you. If you are a pessimist, the realist doesn't seem to count the dangers that could happen, and the optimist is really irritating.
As I think about this from a biblical perspective, it seems that we try to make one of these "more" biblical than the others. And yet, I see that all three are actively at work in the life of the Christian.
For a Christian, we can be optimistic because our God is greater than us and can do things beyond what we can think or imagine. In essence, we can never dream of something so big that God could not actually do it. We can be realistic because God has given us the things of this world to make wise use of. While God can always bring more to our use as He sees fit, when we make our plans, He wants us to use wisdom with those things that He has already provided. We can also be pessimistic in that we realize that all people have a sinful nature, and the chances are that it will rear its ugly head at some point, and so we should plan that things will not always go as nice and smooth as we might like.
It's difficult to open our eyes and hearts up to those who may tend to be different from us. And yet, there is much wisdom in listening, learning, and growing with those who may think differently than we do.
Optimist: Sees the good and the possibilities in almost all situations. May even seem to be unrealistic at times.
Realist: Sees things "as they really are". What is possible is only what you can see and count on.
Pessimist: Sees the problems and pitfalls in most situations. May seem to think everything will end in disaster.
Does one of these seem to describe you? Here's another challenge. Ask three of your friends which of these categories would seem to fit you. Do you think their answer will correspond to how you see yourself?
What does this have to do with faith and life? Well, it seems that, when we view ourselves as one of these, we tend to discount those who may be of the other two. If you are a realist, you may think that the optimist puts too much hope in God coming through, and you may think that the pessimist is way too negative. If you are an optimist, the realist doesn't seem to think big enough or seem to step out in faith, and the pessimist really irritates you. If you are a pessimist, the realist doesn't seem to count the dangers that could happen, and the optimist is really irritating.
As I think about this from a biblical perspective, it seems that we try to make one of these "more" biblical than the others. And yet, I see that all three are actively at work in the life of the Christian.
For a Christian, we can be optimistic because our God is greater than us and can do things beyond what we can think or imagine. In essence, we can never dream of something so big that God could not actually do it. We can be realistic because God has given us the things of this world to make wise use of. While God can always bring more to our use as He sees fit, when we make our plans, He wants us to use wisdom with those things that He has already provided. We can also be pessimistic in that we realize that all people have a sinful nature, and the chances are that it will rear its ugly head at some point, and so we should plan that things will not always go as nice and smooth as we might like.
It's difficult to open our eyes and hearts up to those who may tend to be different from us. And yet, there is much wisdom in listening, learning, and growing with those who may think differently than we do.
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