Faith Is Not Optimism

 

Difference between faith and optimism

Faith

The faith that works and produces result is the one that is based on God’s Word. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Someone may say “I am very hopeful and confident about the future; I know this miracle I’m expecting will come to pass; I know I’m going to get that job or contract!” As beautiful as that may sound to the ears, it is not faith. You must have the Word of God as the basis for your believing and confession, for faith is based on God’s Word and not optimism; it is the response of the human spirit to the Word of God.

Optimism

Optimism is the tendency to expect the best or a favourable outcome among possible solutions but faith is expressed when you act on the Word. When Abraham was promised to be the father of many nations, he did not hope that it might happen but rather demonstrated strong faith on the basis of what God told him. The Bible affirms this by stating that “he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving Glory to God” (Romans 4:20). Abraham relied on the Word of God which was his security.

Another example is the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14; a remarkable example of faith. The disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea towards them and were frightened thinking it was some kind of spirit but Jesus bade them to take courage (Matthew 14:26-27). But in verse 28 Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water”. And He said, “Come”. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. What a wonderful miracle it was. But observe that Peter acted on what Jesus said and walked towards Him. Acting on the word of the Master cemented the sea and made it a solid ground for him to walk on. He didn’t act on a mere optimism that it will work but rather on the Master’s infallible word. This affirms the fact that faith is not optimism but is based on God’s Word.

Conclusion

Although optimism may be good, mere optimism is not a substitute for faith, for it does not have its foundation on God’s Word. It does not matter how much you anticipate or hope for the best possible outcome in an event, it still wouldn’t work if your hope is not translated into faith. In the same vain faithfulness and faith are not the same. True faith does not compromise on the wisdom of this world but relies solely on the Word of God. Faith is not optimism and therefore for your faith to work and produce results, it has to be based on God’s Word.

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