Optimism Fueled By Faith

This week we are exploring a way of life that “sees the doughnut rather than the hole.”  First on the list of qualities we need to build in this life is faith.  Faith that trusts in God, learns from God, and builds on the foundation of what God says through His word in the Bible.  This groundwork is required to fuel a positive and optimistic outlook on life.

 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)

Faith that gives us reason for a positive outlook in life is rooted in the fact that God exists and that God cares about us.  Without faith in God there’s no reason to pray or expect to be protected from anything that might happen to us.  Thankfully, God does exist and is watching over us each day.  As we bring our hearts and lives before Him in prayer He responds to our situations with wisdom and understanding far beyond all we could ask or imagine.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (Romans 10:14, 17 NLT)

Faith grows in us as we hear and act on the truth of God’s word.  Even if we don’t understand how it all works, we can build our lives with confidence on the scriptures contained in the Bible.  Jesus prayed, “Santify them by the truth” and then stated “Your word is truth” (John 17:17 NIV).   Even our greatest doubts can’t bury the spark of life this good news brings because it is spoken by Jesus and written by John the apostle inspired by the Holy Spirit.  God’s way of helping us grow in faith is to simply surround us with truth. 

Jesus said:  It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade. …. I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. (Mark 4:31-32, Matthew 17:20 NLT)

Thankfully we don’t have to have a lot of faith, just act on the little bit that we have.  To know that our lives are a blessing to others and make a difference in impossible situations will certainly fuel optimism in us.  God’s word is reliable.  Let’s invite faith to grow in us as we live a faith filled life that is positive and optimistic.

©2015 Partners in Hope