There's an ongoing debate now on social media about whether it's wrong or right for Christians to have a certain level of pessimistic thinking.
One side takes pessimism and calls it necessary, claiming that God gives us wisdom to think of something from the worst possible angle. Another side looks at pessimism as a lack of faith, claiming that if we really trust God, we will look at things with positivity and gladness.
It's hard to take sides in this conversation because both sides really have strong points and bad ones. We look into this situation and realize that this is just one of those moments where not everything can be black and white.
Ultimately there is nothing wrong with pessimism and optimism and nothing right about them either. It all lies in what it does to you. Luke 6:45 says, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."
God has no qualms about how things get done. It doesn't matter if you feed a crowd with fundraisers or with miracles. As long as the heart is in the right place and people are fed, we please God with faithful action.
Pessimism isn't always being realistic
This is where I take a side. People often hear me preach and think I'm an optimistic person, but really I'm not. Anyone who's worked closely with me or has known me on a personal level will know that I always like to think of the worst-case scenario.
However, no matter how many bad scenarios I come up with, I never use those as reasons to not take action and to not step out in faith. It's the way I'm wired and God made me that way, but God also has given me a reason to believe in the impossible. Pessimism only becomes a problem when we start putting God in a box because things don't make sense.
Optimism isn't always acting in faith
On the other hand, optimism can have some kinks as well. When someone shuns medication out of the sheer optimism that God heals without physical intervention, optimism goes on a radical yet unwise level.
In our optimism, God calls us still to act in wisdom and caution. God is all-loving, but the world is still a mess. We may be victors, but there is an enemy who won't go down without a fight.
God acknowledges the worst but sees the best
But in every circumstance, let us remember how Jesus thinks. Looking at the world, He acknowledges that it's a mess, but with sheer conviction, He moves forward and overcomes for us. Just the way He says it in John 16:33, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
As Christians, let us not focus too much on being pessimistic or optimistic, but instead acknowledge the worst, but hope for the best.
