Should Christians approach the world with a pessimistic outlook?
As in this is not our home so nothing good can come of this world or something bad will always happen so you shouldn’t be disappointed when it does?
Adam and Eve, because of their sins, had to leave the Garden of Eden. They entered a harsh world where they had to work the land that was not kind to them for everything they would need to survive. And thus began the perils of mankind. All the way through to today’s age.
It’s easy to believe that bad things happen all the time and that they will continue to happen. This week it’s one thing, next week it will be the next. So why expect any differently? You’ll just be disappointed. So as a Christian do we just....endure it? .....survive? What do we do? What does the Bible say?
Now the Bible is FILLED with people who had so much drama and darkness and tragedy in their lives. Those people really went through it! Just like many of us are going through it now. But the Bible also speaks to us of hope. In fact, one of the central themes is hope. It is filled with stories of redemption and restoration. None of which came lightly. And the greatest story of all is that of Jesus being a Conqueror and assuring victory over all these troubles forever.
Jesus never denied we would have trouble. He predicted that we would. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV
This message from Christ is life for a believer in a nutshell. Yes, life is hard. But IN CHRIST we will have peace. But what does that mean, you may ask?
It doesn’t mean putting your head in the sand and ignoring what’s going on and it doesn’t mean having unrealistic expectations for the future.
Do what Jesus says and take heart! Have hope! Because the God who lives outside of time and knows all already says that we will have the victory!! And this is the word of Christ so how can that not give you hope?
It means having faith and putting your trust in God. Stop thinking of the negative and instead honor the Lord. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
So just like He restored your fellow believers ,He will restore you. And let pessimistic thoughts of the future fall to the wayside. Put your hope in God.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”