• Pastor Gerrit Mes of the AFM Pentecostal Fellowship writes:
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”
Very few people have been more quoted than Winston Churchill. In his life he faced many challenges and often experienced defeat. But through it all, he often came up with sayings like the above about optimists and pessimists. Most of us sway between being optimistic and pessimistic. But truth be told, all of us are one or the other predominately.
I wonder what your family and friends would say about you. Do you focus on your dark clouds or your silver linings? Is it my DNA, my family, my experiences? Is it possible to change from being a pessimist to being an optimist? Or is it true that a leopard cannot change its spots?
I probably tend towards pessimistic or melancholic in nature. Don’t be shocked, many things can be hidden behind a smile and laughter. But I have found keys to transition to being an optimist. Choose the right friends. The passion and enthusiasm of optimistic people are contagious. Avoiding pessimists also helps.
But it is my faith in God that helps me the most. Knowing that God loves me, has a purpose for me, helps me to focus on the light instead of the darkness. Being optimistic does not change my world, but it helps to always have hope. Jesus Christ, believe in him or not, saw opportunity in difficulty. Imagine hanging on a cross, facing your mocking enemies and death, and saying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.
Being an optimist is not a choice, it is an act of faith.
• Contact Pastor Mes on 087 802 5752
