Bertie Charles Forbes, often dubbed B. C. Forbes in signature, a Scottish-American journalist and author once remarked: “Optimism is a tonic. Pessimism is poison. Admittedly, every businessman must be realistic. He must gather facts, analyze them candidly and strive to draw logical conclusions, whether favorable or unfavorable. He must not engage in self-delusion. He must not view everything through rose-colored glasses. Granting this, the incontestable truth is that America has been built up by optimists, not by pessimists, but by men possessing courage, confidence in the nation's destiny, by men willing to adventure to shoulder risks terrifying to the timid.” Psalm 27:13-14 reminds us: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Viewing life through rose-tinted, or rose-colored glasses is an expression that is considered to portray extreme optimism. However, it is often implied as a derogatory inference by others. Life, may be seen by some as great, irrelevant of the actual truth. Badness may appear incapable of existing in the hearts of others, nor evil, sin, pain or distress. The good side of life is the focused importance at hand. The sun appears to still shine even though the sky is densely overcast, it is cold, and pouring with rain.
While thoughts like these may encourage the weakest amongst us and give tremendous hope to those in affliction, sadly they are considered unrealistic reasoning and become unmitigated fallacy. The truth of life is merely blinded. If this were possible, we might believe that we have heaven in our hearts. Reality, as most discern, is far from perfect. Sin and evil do exist, in abundance. Without a truly forgiving God, there would be no eternal hope for many. Mark 7:20-23 reminds us: And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Life has to be viewed in its true perspective. An even keel accepts the rough with the smooth, only then can true discernment be recognized and progress made which helps our oyster's outer shell to remain open instead of firmly shut. Evil still exists amongst its hidden depths. The rose-tinted glasses that some wear may provide a distorted vision of the truth, or even worse, become opaque. Attitudes need to change to meet reality. These may include the opening of our hearts and minds, listening to God, accepting His love and guidance, then passing that wonder on to others. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 reminds us: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” It has been said that love takes courage, but love, in return, can aid courage. Courage plays an important role in dealing with life. At its base, love provides the firm foundation with which to provide the internal strength to reveal it. With the right foresight and vision, we can form frameworks to overcome adversity, evil, or sin. They may provide the fortitude and resilience necessary to pursue the right course and achieve a winning strategy. Unless the sun is truly shining, we need to discard the rose-tinted glasses of life that restrict minds or limit our focus. We need to stand and deliver against the misfortunes of existence, and with the help of God, we can. Joshua 1:9 confirms: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
To attempt to diminish, or deny the bad happenings in life by regarding them as good, indifferent or even non-existent is not a sensible outlook or conception. We need to face them head-on, directly challenge their disguised disruption or hurt by tackling them at the root source. Richelle E. Goodrich, a female American author once remarked: "Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action….no matter what. So you're afraid? Be afraid. Be scared silly to the point you're trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway!" Isaiah 40:28-31 confirms: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
The reality of life forever includes suffering, pain, hardship and affliction. Optimism should never be denied, it can be advantageous to counteract density, when applied in its correct proportion, as it encourages positive thought. However, the peril is realized when too much may defeat its possible merit and provide a false or fake impression. Conversely, pessimistic reasoning is not considered good either and may be considered harmful in regularity. Although, in its way, it can provoke or provide a true element of understanding and discern a future goal to overcome. The right balance of optimism and pessimism is the correct adoption for life. 1 Peter 4:1-5 reminds us: “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
Amen.
