Pessimism: June 3, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 3, 2014.

PESSIMISM

DEFINITION:

Tending to see only what is disadvantaged or gloomy; to anticipate the worst outcome; a philosophy that evil will ultimately triumph over good.

SCRIPTURE:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Pessimists are gloomy. Cartoonists draw a gloomy person with a dark cloud over their head. This is just how it is for pessimists. They only see the dark cloud and miss the silver lining. Pessimists anticipate and see only bad outcomes.

Modern writers depict the pessimism of our time and many of them just throw up their hands in despair and say, “There is no answer to man’s dilemma.”

When we go back a few generations and look what writers were saying, we are reminded of Hemingway saying, “I live in a vacuum that is lonely as a radio tube when the batteries are dead and there is no current to plug into.” For our generation that would be like the TV cable going out.

Eugene O’Neill in the book, “Long Day’s Journey into Night” typifies the philosophical attitude of his day when he wrote, “Life’s only meaning is death.”

Godlessness generates pessimism. Pessimism is the philosophy that evil ultimately triumph over good. That is certainly a gloomy thought. Thanks to God, our loving Father who created us, there is a silver lining. God, who is only good, will triumph over evil and the source of all evil which is Satan, the great deceiver.

Satan only has power temporarily. He will meet his doom. Just as we must read the last chapter of a book to find out the ending, we have only to read the last book in the Bible to find out Satan’s fate. Revelation 21:10 reveals that what waits for Satan is that he will be “thrown into the lake of burning sulfur” and “will be tormented day and night forever.”

Jesus triumphed over sin and death for us so that all who believe in Him by accepting Jesus as their Savior will be forgiven of all their sins and have eternal life. This is the hope we have as believers and it is an anchor for our soul that is firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19). 

We say to these two men, Hemingway and O’Neill who have already passed on, that there is more to life than death. There is more to life than a radio tube that needs to be plugged in. Jesus taught us the dignity and importance of being a person not being controlled by pessimism. We have often heard that a pessimist looks at a half glass of water and says it is half empty. An optimist will say it is half full. What do you say?

LEARNING: 

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:12.

To all that received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God.

PRAYER:

Your love for me, heavenly Father, transcends the hopelessness of this life that so many face and gives me a purpose to live that I so desperately need.