ICE BREAKER:

Do you know who you are?

DEFINITION:

Optimism is a mental positive attitude or confidence reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of
some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable.

INTRODUCTION:

Positive attitude and positive thinking are crucial in one’s endeavor.

NEGATIVE attitudes result in NEGATIVE Actions …

POSITIVE attitudes result in POSITIVE Actions.

Nevertheless, some people are just plain NEGATIVE … PESSIMISTIC. Our actions and confessions are
greatly affected by our belief. It sometimes directs us to success or failure.

Optimism is a positive mind attitude of a person who wants to succeed.

“Your attitude determines your altitude.” – John Maxwell

TENSION:

Life is full of negatives… very pessimistic. Just read the newspaper or watch the evening news.
Someone once said: “Negatives belong in the darkroom, not in the life of those who believe there is
God.” Generally and most of the time, being optimist is better than being pessimist.

But there are also constructive pessimists who know how to make use of their pessimism in order to
produce something beneficial.

Ex. A person who invented a parachute is a positive pessimist. The inventor thinks an airplane could
crash so that at least he invented a parachute for people to use.

But for the sake of discussion let us take optimism to be generally a positive attitude and pessimism as
generally negative.

Two Kinds of Optimism:

1. Worldly Optimism – it is a humanistic approach. One is confident something good is going to happen
on the basis of nothing. Those who believe in luck and lucky charms and/or solely on positivism of
human mind. Such approach does not acknowledge God and His sovereignty. However, it does not
acknowledge or assume any responsibility when something bad happens even when they committed a
mistake or irresponsible act.

2. Godly Optimism – is believing something good is going to happen because God is in control of our
lives. If something bad happens, people with godly optimism think that that God has a better plan. It
also assumes responsibility to do what is good and pleasing to God because they believe that God
honors our good deeds for others.

Godly optimism is biblical. It starts with an understanding God’s heart for His people.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for
evil, to give you a future and a hope.
2 Cor. 12:10 – 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong..”

HOW GODLY PESSIMISM IS BEING DEVELOPED?

1. Believe in God and in His Word.

- God is good.
- God loves you.
- God’s wants you to succeed.
Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

2. Believe on your real positive identity.

- You are God’s child in Christ.

- You are designed for something noble and great. Don’t be cheap, don’t compromise, don’t be
arrogant but don’t belittle yourself or look down on yourself.
- You are called to do good works to honor Him.

Philippians 4:12-13 NIV 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I
have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me
strength.

3. Believe God has a plan/destiny for you.

- Everything that happens to you may be part and parcel of God’s overall plan for your life.
- Everything is a preparation for something better.

“Use your failure is a foundation for victory and the opportunity to do things more wisely.”

James 1:2-4 NIV 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of
many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let
perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

CONCLUSION:

Believe in God and condition your mind that He has called you not just to merely succeed but
to fulfill His plan in your life. When you do His will, success follows, provision follows, open
doors will be created, you will be filled with joy more than money could give.

Philippians 4:8 ESV – “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.”

PESSIMISM to OPTIMISM is a call to revival

from death to life…

from withholding to participation …
from apathy to action …
from disregard to appreciation …
from misery to joy …
from sadness to gladness…
from mourning into joy.

Jesus faced death with godly optimism, because He knew that at the back of His death is
man’s salvation especially to those who will believe in His name. His godly optimism is much
greater than the pain he had experienced on the cross because such optimism was driven by
His love for us.