Hope and Optimism: “Polar Opposites”
Have you ever thought of the relationship between the words optimism and hope? Both words point to a better future but imply totally different ways of getting there. I’ll never forget hearing this for the first time and it blew me away. I can’t remember who told me this (which is even more of a confirmation it was a message from my King) but they said this of optimism and hope. 
Optimism implies having faith in something that I am going to do in the future. Hope is having faith in what God has already done in and through Jesus Christ. So often we think the two are interchangable when in fact they are polar opposites. Optimism is rooted in the lie that some how “I” am able to create this preferred future in my life; its rooted in the worship of “I”. Whereas hope is rooted in the truth that because of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ I am now able to live God’s preferred future in my life; hope is rooted in the worship of God.
The scriptures continually show this truth time and time again. In Ephesians 1, the author talks of our lives being flooded with light (great image huh?) that we might understand the confident hope we have in Christ. In Psalms 33 the author makes a declaration that true hope is found in God alone. Until our hearts, minds, and souls are flooded with the light of Christ we will not know the truth that hope is found in God alone and may fall into the trap of “being optimistic.”
My challenge to us today is to open our lives up to the light that brings hope; to open our lives up to being flooded with the light of Christ that we might understand the hope we have received through Jesus and live in ways that our testimony is “my hope is found in God alone.” I pray this would permeate out of your pores today and that the light that floods your life would spill over into the world around you that others would experience the hope of the world.
Peace….from Pastor P (chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com; www.wedesiremore.com)
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