Overcoming the Misery of Negativity
What an incredible experience it must have been as the children of Israel crossed the Rea Sea on dry ground and watched the God of Abraham collapse the walls of water on their enemies. The bondage in Egypt had been severe, their taskmasters cruel, but God sent deliverance that day through the blood of the paschal lamb. One may think that such a supernatural exodus from bondage would be so impressed in their minds that they would never doubt the power of God again; however, it did not take long until the people found themselves in the wilderness murmuring about their less-than-hospitable conditions.
They not only complained to Moses, they complained about Moses. They accused him of bringing them into the desert to die of thirst and starvation. Instead of looking up for God’s provision, instead of looking ahead at God’s promises, instead of looking around at God’s presence, they looked back to Egypt and desired to return to slavery. So unbelieving and pessimistic were the children of Israel, that instead of leading them straight to the land of promise, God kept them in the wilderness for forty years.
Before we judge our Hebrew counterparts too quickly, I would contend that most believers live with some measure of negativity in their lives. From traffic to politics to fast food lines, we tend to murmur and complain about a host of issues. The pessimist has the unique ability to view life from every bad angle. How does one overcome such an adverse mindset?
Attitude
Winston Churchill said, “The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” One’s outlook on life inevitably controls one’s disposition about life. If you are looking for conflict, problems, and trouble, you will be sure to find it; but the optimist intentionally chooses to see the good, even when the good is difficult to ascertain.
Gratitude
Imagine what life would be like without power, vehicles, water, beds, and a thousand other miscellaneous items we take for granted. Like the children of Israel, we tend to look over the divine blessings of God. He has delivered us, liberated us, and set our course to the promise land. We overcome pessimism by spending time everyday thanking God for His daily provision.
Servitude
The pessimist tends to view life from an inward perspective. Every decision in every situation is made based upon selfish desires. Rare is the occasion when he considers the needs and concerns of others. Pessimism and servitude have little common ground. Negative people are rarely helpful in any situation.
Fortitude
It is the natural inclination of our fallen condition to be cynical. The believer, however, must operate in another realm. He must conscientiously press toward the mark with a positive spirit and an optimistic view about where he is going.
Michael Levine says, “A pessimist is someone who complains about the noise when opportunity knocks at the door.” That statement would be fairly comical if it weren’t so true. If left unguarded, our hearts can become jaded by the world and all its politics, culture, traffic, long lines, aggravations, and agendas; but the truth is, we as believers should be the most hopeful and optimistic people in the world. Our Savior is risen, our souls are redeemed, our future is secure, our names are written, our Bible is true, our King is coming! If redemption is drawing nigh, we should look up…with a smile on our faces.
Excerpt from The Overcomer’s Journal. Click here to for more information
