Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Philippians 4:8 (MSG)
God commands us to be optimists.
As we discussed yesterday, one quality that cultivates joy is loving others. Another important quality that cultivates joy is optimism.
Optimists and pessimists refer to seeing the glass as half full or half empty. Pessimists think they’re realists and see optimists as wishful thinkers.
But is that accurate? In fact, both statements are true. However, choosing which you focus on has an impact on how you go through life. What we think and focus on will affect how we live out our lives.
People who maintain an optimistic outlook look at situations and see good, even in the midst of crisis. When things aren’t working out, or there’s an unexpected bump in the road, they focus on hope. Optimists enjoy life to a much greater degree than pessimists.
Today’s verse tells us to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Why? Because God knows what it does to your heart and mind and ultimately to your life and those around you. There will always be stuff going on around us and issues popping up in our lives. If you get focused on it, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll become pessimistic. If you struggle with negativity, meditate on what Philippians 4:8 advises and make your thoughts obey its teaching.
When you follow God’s direction and consciously choose to focus on the glass half full, His joy in you becomes easy to access!