As Christians there are many aspects of our lives that are influenced by the culture we live in. One of the major areas is our language. As a result, many words that have a specific Biblical meaning and should be common in a Christian’s vocabulary, are now considered offensive by our society and are replaced by the use of secular words. For example, the word sin has been replaced for mistake. Adultery for relationship or love affair. Fornication for intimate relationship. Lie with exaggerate. Faith for Optimism.
When we look up the definition of what these substituted words mean, we discover that most of the time the substituted word cannot even qualify as a synonym for the Biblical word, as with faith for optimism. The American Heritage Dictionary’s definition for Optimism is, “A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation.” Faith, “The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God’s will.” Hayford’s Bible handbook defines faith as, a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life.”
What is this kind of optimism based on? As stated in the definition above, “hopeful aspects“. But hopeful aspects can change, they are not absolutes, they are susceptible to change depending on the many factors and or conditions. Optimism of this kind for some Christians, can be based on what they want or what they wish for, or anticipate God to do when they pray. Optimism with this understanding, is “me” centered, utilizing God to obtain what “I” want. A good example of this is in James 4:3, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
What is faith? First of all, faith is not some kind of holy or spiritual optimism. Faith and actions of faith as seen in the Bible, are simply based on who God is. Faith in a Christian’s life is experienced and expressed because who God is, not because of what we want. This is the basis of what Jesus taught his disciples and us concerning how we should pray in Matthew 6:9-10, Even though Jesus does not mention the word faith, as Christians, we know that when we pray, we pray with faith recognizing who God is and we pray in agreement to His will. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is why what Jesus teaches us in verse ten concerning God’s “kingdom” makes sense when we pray. Because when we pray in faith, we know what the Bible says and we are recognizing who God is and acknowledging His sovereignty and authority in a situation.
So the difference between secular optimism and Biblical faith can be described as the following. Optimism is the way we want things to turn out. Faith comes from our knowing who God is because of what His word says He is.
What makes faith so real and not just a Biblical theory in the life of a Christian is, since the day we exercised our faith and believed what the Bible says about Jesus and confessed our sins for our salvation, we have been experiencing the results of faith in our continual intimate relationship with God. Hayford’s Bible Handbook states it this way. “Faith is the essence of the believer’s life from beginning to end.”
Please do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that a Christian cannot be optimistic. Remember the important question, “What is this kind of optimism based on?” Or personalizing the question, as a Christian what am “I” basing my optimism on, who God is and His will or what “I” want?
There is a word that the Bible uses instead of optimism, which is “hope”. When we study the subject of faith we need to also know what the Bible teaches about hope and how it many times is used in conjunction with faith. A good example that we will expound on later is Romans 4:18-22. Note how the apostle Paul teaches us the importance of how hope works with faith. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Some commentators call hope, “Biblical optimism”. Biblical optimism is the result of faith in the character of God, which is the same as faith in who God is. In Romans 15:13 note how this verse uses “trust” as a synonym for faith. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust (or have faith) in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” When we hope in God, we put our trust or have faith in His sovereign plan above what the circumstances tell us.
Optimism, our emotions and faith. Have you ever got really excited about something, believing that God would cause the situation to turn out as you believed it would considering it faith, but it didn’t? I have, and it happened to me just recently at the end of July. There is not enough space in this article to give you all the details. But what I can tell you that God in a particular instance taught me the difference between my emotional optimism and faith in His will for the situation. It took about two weeks for me to realize I was emotionally excited and expectant for God to do His thing, which I mistakenly thought was my faith. I even had all the details planned out, sincerely and patiently waiting (in faith). At the end of the two weeks I realized a few important things. I was emotionally optimistic for the situation to turn out the way I wanted. And I never spent the needed time to earnestly seek God in prayer to ask Him what was His will concerning the matter. I was not disappointed when I realized and accepted that God had His good and unknown reasons why it was not His will for me at the moment. I was content in the fact that even though things did not turn out the way I expected, I know with His peace in my heart God knows and did what was best for me in that particular situation.
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
Pastor John
