Aids to Optimism – Part One

“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100: 3, 4

Jesus does not want your attitude held hostage by circumstances. He does not want circumstances to control your attitude. Rather, He wants your attitude to influence circumstances.

Believers can rejoice because Jesus met their worst enemy, Satan, and overcame him. Because of Jesus’ victory, we work from victory not for victory. It is Jesus’ victory that enables us to be victorious.

The King of Kings has defeated the “prince” of this world.

Don’t ever step into a never-before-lived-day without a spirit of optimism.  You choose your attitude. The choice is yours. Jesus in you is the hope of glory.

Yogi Berra said, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it.”

General W. J. Slim was a little more precise in this statement: “When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action to take … choose the bolder.”

Dealing with some of the difficulties of life is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you get tired. You quit when the gorilla gets tired.

Our Lord knowing this has provided numerous uplifting influences to enable us to regain our footing when knocked down by events that jolt us.

“Enter His gates… and into His courts.”

This was an expression by the ancient Hebrews that speak of public worship. Public worship puts God in focus. It is like looking at an object through a magnifying glass?  With the object in the center of the glass in focus you could see it best. However, around the edges everything else might be fuzzy or faded. Worship enables us to get God in focus and things to fade.

It is often ourselves that needs to be put in proper focus. Sometimes we are defeated, depleted, and deflated. At other times we operate from an inflated ego. Worship gives balance. Therein we are dealing with One bigger and more able than we.

Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. Neither limit your worship to public worship. Walk through life as though the world around you is a great cathedral, and in it worship the God of creation. Be mindful of Him amid His artful creation and silently express adoration to Him. Remember it is He we are to worship, inspired by nature, but it is not nature we worship.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24: 1)

Worship is in essence focusing on God formally and informally. Live with a sense of His presence and worship Him. Having such a companion is cause for optimism.