Why Do I Do What I Don't Want to Do?Sýnishorn

There are those who see the glass as half full, and there are those who see the glass as half empty. The way you view the world is through that lens.

I do not believe it is God’s desire or hope for you to live a glass-half-empty kind of life, but I know far too many Christians whose default posture is cynicism. Cynicism clouds your perspective to the point you can’t see the world as it really is. Optimism, on the other hand, is hopefulness and confidence about the future.

The apostle Paul is the biblical template for remaining optimistic in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Paul’s Christian life was marked by persecution and hardship. Everywhere he went, he was closely watched by the governing authorities because his message about Jesus was viewed as a threat to their power. Ultimately, Paul found himself imprisoned for his role in spreading the gospel—twice.

As he sat in prison, Paul penned a letter to the church at Philippi. At this point, he was most likely chained to a Roman guard twenty-four hours a day. But look at all the optimistic statements you see in today’s Bible reading!

Paul looked at his situation—imprisoned, in chains, locked to a guard—and said, “It’s OK, because this accomplishes my end goal. My life mission is to advance the gospel. Even me being here, in prison, can do that, so I am content, because what I want most in this world is happening.”

Let’s be clear: I’m not saying you can never be sad. Of course, in a world filled with sin and death, there are occasions when it’s appropriate to be sad. Just don’t stay there. And don’t stay there alone.

As Christians, we know God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). We know he wins in the end. So why don’t we live like that is true?

Ask someone close to you where they see cynicism in your life. (Often others are more alert to this kind of thing in us than we are.)