EDITORIAL | KAIROS GLOBAL | OCTOBER 2020

Author: Dr Chackochan J Njavallil

Being Optimistic Always

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). This is one verse from the Bible which has always sustained me every day, from that very first day I came to the revelation about a loving God who cares for me.

That does not mean that everything in my life has been smooth and easy. Even now there are a few things for which I do not have clear answers, but I still believe that in all things, God works for our good.

When I was preparing to write this, I was reminded of one of my visits to a theme park and the rollercoaster rides which we enjoyed there. It was an extremely scary ride but we felt safe because the employees there had made sure that we were securely fastened in. We had confidence in the systems, people and in the organisation, which helped us to overcome our fears.

Our life is a riskier and more complicated rollercoaster ride, and in that journey what gives us confidence and strength is our deep trust in God, who loves and cares for us and who is always with us. No one but God could ever give us the comfort and solace we require, as he alone is the true source of peace.

The question is how fully can we trust in the loving care of God when we struggle with the difficulties of life. At times it seems like God is far away and sometimes we even forget that God is there. Sometimes we can become frustrated by the perceived inaction of our so called loving God. In these situations, we need to remember that God is always present and that all we have to do, is to run back to the loving embrace of the Father as the prodigal son did. We need to fully surrender ourselves and trust completely that in every single thing, God will act in the right way, at the right time. 

When we read through the book of Habakkuk in the Bible, it seems that he is a die-hard optimist. This is a great trait we can also imitate in our lives. Let us hope and pray with prophet Habakkuk in the following words,

For though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive fails, the fields yield no food; the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls:  yet I will rejoice in Yahweh. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

God is for us. He is always on our side; working on our behalf and for our good. He has proved his benevolence in that he has adopted us (Romans 8:15), he has given us his Spirit (Romans 8:16–17, 26–27), and has saved us (Romans 8:29–30). All of this gives us many reasons as the faithful to be optimistic.