Optimists think what they want will happen.

Pessimists think what they fear will happen.

Which should Christians be? Optimists or Pessimists?

We have God on our side are on God’s side, so does that mean what we want will happen? Not necessarily. Did your father give you candy for dinner growing up? Not usually (unless mom was out of town). We don’t always get what we want.

On the other hand, the world around us is inundated with sin and evil. Does that mean we should expect the worst all the time? No again. The Lord is good and He is in control. As long as He rules (and He shall ever rule) the possibility for good will always remain.

What then, should I fret or should I smile? Should I look excitedly to the future or worryingly?

You should look at the future realistically.

Now when you say “realistically” or “be realistic” today, most take that to be a pessimistic phrase. Usually the words “be realistic….” come before some bad news. But Christians understand that the reality is, the Lord’s capacity for good and His willingness to do good for His children has never been stronger. I am so blessed to be His child. How about you?

And yet, despite all the good that He offers me, I can still look around and see so much cause for disappointment. I can look around and see so many reasons to be let down and scared. But I choose not to be.

The Lord is my Shepherd. I choose not to be in want. I choose not to be worried. I choose not to be let down. And when those pessimistic thoughts creep into my mind, I choose to cast them to the Lord (1 Peter 5:7).

Here comes the hard part, though: When I do take my worries and I cast them to God, I’m supposed to stop worrying about them.

Paul tells us not to be anxious, but instead to take our anxieties and pray about them in order to find peace (Philippians 4:6-7). The Lord promises that my prayers will be heard and if it be His Will He will remove the trouble that is worrying me. On the other hand…

“Sometimes God calms the storm.
Sometimes God lets the storm rage…and He calms me.”

James says that if we pray with faith, unwavering, great things can happen. If we waver, then our prayers will—guaranteed—go unanswered (James 1:6-7).

What kind of praying person would I be if I prayed “God please let _______ win the presidency?” and then stared at polls and election predictions and thought “there’s no way _____ wins the presidency!” Have faith, and trust that what God wants to happen will happen.

If I prayed for it, I must leave it in God’s hands. My candidate of choice may win, or my candidate may lose. Either way, I am going to pray and leave it to God—who rules in the kingdoms of men (Daniel 4:32)—to take care of the immediate future of America and the world at large.

Today, let us all say: THY WILL BE DONE