“Being Optimistic In A Pessimistic World”
INTRODUCTION: There are many books on POSITIVE THINKING. The book “The Power Of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale was required reading when I was a student at Trinity College. There are all kinds of “helps” out there to help us maintain a “positive attitude”. Some of them can be good, as long as we don’t take a HUMANISTIC approach to the subject.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE and POSITIVE THINKING are very important. NEVERTHELESS, some people are just plain NEGATIVE … PESSIMISTIC. NEGATIVE ATTITUDES result in NEGATIVE ACTIONS … Positive ATTITUDES result in POSITIVE ACTIONS.
STORY: A small boy had a positive attitude while out in the yard playing by himself. He said to himself, “I’m the greatest batter in the whole world.” Then he threw the ball into the air, took a swing … and missed. Strike one! He said it again: “I’m the greatest batter in the whole world.” He threw the ball in the air, took a swing … and missed it again. Strike two! He repeated the process for the third time … swung … and missed. Strike three! Unwilling to be defeated of his optimism, he thought a minute and said, “Wow, I’m the greatest PITCHER in the whole world!”
The Apostle Paul was one of the most POSITIVE people who ever lived. YET, he went through some of the worst troubles anyone could ever face. He was beaten, imprisoned, run out of towns, hated, in fear of his life. BUT … what was his ATTITUDE?
2 Cor. 12:10 – “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Is THAT a POSITIVE ATTITUDE … or WHAT?
WHY did Paul have such a POSITIVE ATTITUDE? Turn to 2 Cor. 4:7-10, 16-17.
I had a Professor in Bible College who used to write “93% PMA” on the board. This is what he meant: “93% of all success or failure is determined by one’s attitude … 93% Positive Mental Attitude.”
LIFE is full of NEGATIVES … we live in a “No-No” world … very negative … very pessimistic. Just read the newspaper or watch the evening news. Someone once said: “Negatives belong in the darkroom, not in the Christian’s life.”
The BIBLE is full of POSITIVES. Philip. 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
It’s a dark, pessimistic world in which we live. Listen to this verse of Scripture: Matthew 7:7 – “seek, and ye shall find;” If you seek for the WORST in everything … the NEGATIVE … you’ll find it. BUT … if you seek for the BEST in everything … the POSITIVE … you’ll find it.
Optimism & pessimism has a lot to do with how you look at things.
STORY: One day a lady came home with a new dress. Her husband was furious about her new purchase. He said: “You know we can’t afford that, why did you buy it?” She replied, “The Devil made me do it!” He said: “Why didn’t you just tell the Devil, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’” She replied: “I did, and he told me that it looked good from back there, too!”.
If you look at everything with a critical eye, you’ll find plenty to criticize. You’ll find what you’re looking for. BUT … if you look at everything seeking for the good, you’ll find lots to praise God for. ATTITUDE is very important. You can talk yourself into failure, misery, depression & worry. OR … you can talk yourself into trust, love, joy and hope.
REMEMBER: Behind the blackest thundercloud there is a brilliant sun that is always shining.
Are you an OPTIMIST … or a PESSIMIST? One of my character flaws, is that I’m too much of a PESSIMIST … more than I would like to be. I wouldn’t characterize myself as a full-blown PESSIMIST … more of an “OPTIMISTIC PESSIMIST”. OR … maybe a “PESSIMISTIC OPTIMIST”. I‘m still working on being more OPTIMISTIC. You go to school to be an OPTOMETRIST, or an OPHTHALMOLOGIST … but I’m talking about an OPTIMIST.
For my message this morning, I tried to think of a Biblical illustration of OPTIMISM and PESSIMISM. The Lord led me to this Scripture. Turn with me to Luke 15:11-32. You know the story … the story of the Prodigal Son … and his elder brother.
By the way, do you know what the word “prodigal” means? The word isn’t mentioned in the Scriptures … but it’s what this parable has always been called. “prodigal” means ‘wastefully extravagant, a spendthrift’.
Let’s take a look at the one with the POSITIVE ATTITUDE … the OPTIMIST.
I. THE OPTIMIST
15:11-12 – The younger son was the wild one. He wasn’t very responsible in life, and was what we might call a “free spirit”. The father knew his son … and he knew what he would do with this INSTANT WEALTH. YET … he divided his inheritance early … even though he didn’t HAVE to. WHY did he do this.
The father was an OPTIMIST. What’s the DIFFERENCE between an OPTIMIST and a PESSIMIST? Someone once said: “An OPTIMIST invented the airplane … a PESSIMIST invented the parachute.” An OPTIMIST says: “My cup runneth over, what a blessing!” A PESSIMIST says: “My cup runneth over, what a mess!”
What was lacking in this young man’s life? DISCIPLINE. As hard as the father tried, he was getting nowhere. The young man was unhappy at home … and the father was unable to teach him responsibility and instill in him a proper work ethic.
The father was an OPTIMIST. The BEST thing he could do for his son was to put him in a different school, where he could learn the lessons his father had been unable to teach him … the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.
Sometimes we have to go thru the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS to get some sense knocked into our heads … DON’T WE? God knows what’s BEST for us … He’s an OPTIMIST … He sees the GOOD, even in the BAD (Romans 8:28).
15:13-16 – Sure enough, he acted irresponsibly …and wasted all his inheritance. I’m sure it broke his father’s heart, but his father was an OPTIMIST. He knew what his son needed, and loved him enough to administer TOUGH LOVE.
This is what it took to make him realize that life at home with his father wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe now, he could begin to see the blessings that he had … that he had missed … while he was at home.
15:17 – This Prodigal Son didn’t take advantage of his son-ship. Can you identify with that?
o AT HOME, he had friends who loved him … NOW, he lost his “friends” who only wanted to use him & his money.
o AT HOME, he had food to eat … NOW, he is hungry.
o AT HOME, he had clean clothes … NOW, he is covered with hog slop.
o AT HOME, he had a good job … NOW, he has to slop hogs.
Can you IDENTIFY with him? What has God blessed us with?
o A BIBLE … which we seldom read.
o A RELATIONSHIP with Jesus, as a child of God … who we seldom go to in prayer.
o A CHURCH FAMILY who loves us … which we fail to become involved in.
o A PASTOR who preaches the Word … which we seldom come to hear.
o A SUNDAY SCHOOL with Bible teaching & fellowship … which we choose to ignore.
Maybe Jesus wants us to see OURSELVES as the Prodigal Son here this AM.
BUT … the father is an OPTIMIST. He sees God’s hand on his son … touching his heart … leading him to repentance … opening his eyes … leading him back home – 15:18-19
15:20 – The father never gave up … he’s an OPTIMIST! Daily, he went out to the end of the road … looking for his son to come home. He never gave up. He always looked for the BEST … he was always HOPEFUL … always PRAYING.
His prayers, his faith, his hope were rewarded.
15:21-24
NOW, let’s take a look at:
II. THE PESSIMIST
15:25-28 – The elder brother was “angry” … WHY? He was a PESSIMIST. He couldn’t see the GOOD in his brother’s return. His brother had gone off, spent his inheritance on worldly living, made a fool of himself, shamed the family name. NOW … he wants to come home, and take up where he left off. “How dare he! What makes him think that everything will be OK, just like before? Who does he think he is? Why such a big fuss? He doesn’t deserve anything, after the way he acted!”
He’s the eternal PESSIMIST … always looking at the NEGATIVE … at the BAD … at the PROBLEM … at the DOWN-SIDE.
15:29-30 – What was his main problem? The elder brother never ENJOYED all the blessings that were available to him.. He could have had a fatted calf anytime he wanted it. He did all the right things, but he didn’t do it with a heart of LOVE. He did it out of DUTY.
Can you identify with the elder brother this AM? Look at all we have, as a Christian here at our Church Home. We’ve got:
o The sweetest fellowship this side of Heaven.
o Worship services 3 times a week.
o Ladies Bible Studies (L.A.M.P.S.) … PILLARS … Choir … Children’s Church … VBS … Sunday School …
The elder brother never ENJOYED all the blessings that were available to him. AND … he was miserable, living in the midst of abundance. He was a PESSIMIST.
BUT NOW … his younger brother had finally realized what great joy & blessings he had been missing out on … how he had wasted his great opportunities … how he had not taken advantage of his son-ship. When it was all taken away from him … he realized what he had lost. NOW … he had come home and was ready to not only ENJOY the blessings … but BE a blessing.
Can you identify with the elder brother, this AM? Everything he needed to live an exciting and abundant life were available to him. He just didn’t make himself available to it.
Let’s turn again to the OPTIMISTIC father.
15:31-32 – This is a call to REVIVAL … from death to life … from PESSIMISM to OPTIMISM … from abstaining to participation … from apathy to action … from disregard to appreciation … from misery to joy … from sadness to gladness.
CONCLUSION:
Who can you more readily IDENTIFY with this AM?
o The ELDER BROTHER … who had everything available to him … but didn’t take advantage of it and enjoy it … the PESSIMIST … the one who had everything handed to him but didn’t participate.
OR
o The PRODIGAL SON … who didn’t enjoy his blessings until they were gone … BUT … who finally came to his senses, and returned home with an attitude of humility and appreciation.
OR
o The OPTIMISTIC FATHER … who never gave up … who always prayed, hoped and trusted God. No matter how dark the storm clouds were, he always looked for the Son to shine through.
Your cup runneth over. You can be a PESSIMIST and say: “What a mess!” … OR … you can be an OPTIMIST and say: “What a blessing!” AMEN?
HEADS BOWED … EYES CLOSED
God has blessed us here at Priscilla. Are we taking advantage of it? Are we enjoying it? Are we an active part of the family that God has given to us?
Let’s be OPTIMISTIC. God has honored you by placing you into His family. Don’t waste your inheritance. Don’t take it for granted. Serve Him with an OPTIMISTIC heart, and watch Him shower you with His great blessings.
STAND – PRAYER
HYMN - #347 – “I Surrender All”
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Being Optimistic In A Pessimistic World”
Luke 15:11-32
INTRODUCTION: Negative attitudes result in negative actions … Positive attitudes result in positive actions.
- The Apostle Paul was very POSITIVE – 2 Corinthians 12:10
- WHY was Paul’s attitude POSITIVE? 2 Corinthians 4:7-10,16-17
- 93% PMA - “93% of all success or failure is determined by one’s attitude.”
- The Bible is full of POSITIVES – Philippians 4:8
- You will find what you are seeking – Matthew 7:7
I. THE OPTIMIST
• 15:11-12 – The prodigal son lacked discipline in his life.
- The OPTIMISTIC father knew his son needed a lesson on discipline from the ‘School Of Hard Knocks’.
• 15:13-16 – The prodigal son missed the blessings that were his while he lived at home.
• 15:17 – He didn’t take advantage of his son-ship.
- God has richly blessed us … do we take advantage of His blessings?
• 15:18-19 – Notice the OPTIMISM of father.
• 15:20 – The father never gave up on his son … he looked for the best … he was trusting and praying.
• 15:21-24 – God rewarded the father’s prayers and trust.
II. THE PESSIMIST
• 15:25-28 – The elder brother was a PESSIMIST, only seeing the negative.
• 15:29-30 – He didn’t enjoy all the blessings that were made available to him.
- The prodigal son realized what he had missed, and was ready not only to ENJOY the blessings, but BE a blessing.
• 15:31-32 – The OPTIMISTIC father issues a call to REVIVAL.
CONCLUSION: Who do you identify with?
- Don’t waste your inheritance … don’t take your blessings for granted … serve God with an OPTIMISTIC heart.
PRISCILLA BAPTIST CHURCH – Ray Scott, Pastor
