Overcoming Pessimism #2 of 2

Excerpt taken from book Overcomers, A Study on Gaining Victory Over the Obstacles in Life by Jeffrey Bush

Place the right influence around you. 

One of my favorite books is Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander. One of the many good pieces of advice this book offers is that you become the product of three things: the books you read, the people you associate with, and the media you listen to. The wise King Solomon said if you walk with wise men you will be wise (Proverbs 13:20). In other words, whatever or whoever you allow to influence you will end up forming you. If you are going to overcome pessimism, you have to place the right influence in your life. Let’s run through some influences that will steer you from negativity and gear you to positivity: 

1. You need God’s Word. This is more than the typical Christian answer. God’s Word will help you fix your eyes on the future instead of fretting about the present. The Christian that goes days without reading the Bible is starving himself while God has a banquet prepared before him. The Bible is a mirror upon which you can check your desires, priorities, and attitude. The Bible will give you the right perspective on life. The Bible is the positive influence you need. Don’t starve yourself. You need the Bible! 

2. You need people who will lift you up. Certainly you need to be a witness to the lost, be a friend to your spiritual brothers, and be an example to all. But you should also avoid the complainers, criticizers, mean spirited, and negative people until they change. They will affect your spirit. They’ll suck the joy right out of you. Proverbs 13:20 teaches that if you walk with wise men, you will be wise. Do you want to overcome pessimism? Don’t hang out with the pessimistic! 

3. You need to change your thoughts. It sounds simple, but when it comes down to it, that’s exactly what you have to do. Start thinking about what God thinks of you instead of what you were told or how you feel about yourself. Remember that God says you are accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6). God tells you to check out what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, and to think on these things (Philippians 4:8). You should stop right now and ask yourself where your thoughts are coming from. If they’re not from God, they’re from the enemy. Time to reconsider and rethink!

Count your blessings.

When was the last time you stopped and counted your blessings? If you are a pessimistic person, you most likely have to admit that you haven’t done it recently. If you do count your blessings, you will realize you have less to fuss about and more for which to thank God. Don’t stop at just counting your blessings; write down your blessings and repeat them to God. Counting your blessings, writing them down, and rehearsing them back to God will change your perception on life. 

God tells us that we don’t have to worry, stress, or be anxious about anything (“be careful for nothing”), because we can take it all to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6). Knowing that God hears our prayers and cares for us is a beautiful truth. The Master and Creator of the universe takes time to bend His ear to mere mortals like us. But sometimes we forget that in that same portion of Scripture mentioned prior, we are told to let our requests be known “with thanksgiving.” We might obey by taking all to God in prayer (though I fear we often neglect this basic truth), but we must not forget to do so “with thanksgiving.” Start your prayers by praising God, and your mood and focus will soon change from negativity to positivity. 

Listen to the words God offers in Lamentations 3:21-24: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” If you were to let your mind marinate in verses like this, you would soon cease from dwelling on the negative. Pessimism stems from a wrong focus. 

Allow me to finish this chapter by reminding you that Moses sent twelve men to spy out the promised land. God had already promised Israel they were going to possess a land of milk and honey. Moses sent one man from each tribe to check it out before the great conquest. When they returned, only two of the twelve believed they could conquer this land. Ten of the twelve, or 83%, said that the task was impossible. Soon their lack of faith and pessimistic attitudes caused them to lose out on God’s blessing and be stuck in the desert for forty years. They had the promise, and had seen God’s protection and provision, but they didn’t believe God would really do what He said He would do. And there are way too many times that God’s children repeat this same pessimistic attitude and end up losing out on God’s blessings. This attitude is nothing more than a lack of faith. Oh dear friend, change your attitude from looking at your surroundings to looking to God. The giants are big compared to you, but they are small compared to your God. Believe God, and let your attitude reflect that belief. Below are two final verses to meditate on before we end this lesson on pessimism. 

John 10:10 — “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Romans 15:13 — “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Let’s conclude this chapter thinking on an old hymn entitled “Count Your Blessings.” The song seems to deal with the heart attitude. Sing it to yourself if you know it, whether silently or out loud, and I’m certain your attitude will go from negative to positive.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Count your blessings, see what God hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.