10/06/2025
Optimism, Faith, and Hope:
Practical Steps For Increasing All Three
(The following came out of my conversations with my new best friend, ChatGPT. And honestly, I couldn’t have put together this list on my own. Take a look on how you might become a more optimistic person.)
Cultivating optimism and nurturing hopefulness isn’t just about forcing a positive attitude—it’s about shaping habits of mind, heart, and spirit that open you to possibility even when life feels heavy. Here are some practical, spiritual, and relational ways to grow faith, hope and optimism:
1. Feed Your Inner Narrative
Name God’s faithfulness. Regularly recall times—your own or others’—when God provided or surprised you. Journaling “stones of remembrance” (Joshua 4) helps you trace God’s hand in your story.
Reframe setbacks. Instead of “This is the end,” try “This is a chapter, not the whole book.” Ask, “What might God be shaping in me through this?”
Practice daily gratitude. Even small joys (a good cup of coffee, a friend’s text) retrain your brain to notice abundance rather than scarcity.
2. Anchor in Scripture & Prayer
Hope texts. Immerse yourself in passages like Romans 8 (nothing separates us from God’s love), Jeremiah 29:11 (a future with hope), or Psalm 27 (“I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”).
Prayers of expectation. Pray not only for solutions but for eyes to see what God is already doing. A simple breath prayer—“Lord, I trust Your tomorrow”—can steady your heart.
3. Surround Yourself with Hopeful People
Choose your circle. Spend time with those who speak life, not constant complaint. Their outlook rubs off.
Serve others. Helping someone else (a meal, a listening ear) breaks the echo chamber of worry and proves that small actions matter.
4. Cultivate Daily Practices of Renewal
Move your body. Walk, stretch, or exercise—physical activity releases chemicals that naturally lift mood.
Create beauty. Music, art, gardening, or simply noticing nature can awaken wonder and remind you of a bigger story.
Set small, meaningful goals. Achievable steps—finishing a book, calling a friend—give tangible reasons to believe tomorrow can be better.
5. Live the “Both/And”
Optimism isn’t denial. Christian hope is realistic faith:
“We do not lose heart… for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory” (2 Cor. 4:16–18)..
Archived Posts
Optimism, Faith, and Hope:
Practical Steps For Increasing All Three
Here are some practical, spiritual, and relational ways to grow faith, hope and optimism:
Listening Heart
It’s kind of crazy when you think about it. Wisdom in the Bible is all about listening. Of course it makes sense that wisdom would start with listening to God, to God’s law and commandments, as well as the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.
Here are some quotes that
didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon.
(But it doesn’t mean that they don’t offer real insight into the power of risk over the fear of failure...)
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
The Power of Presence
This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...
What’s In A Benediction?
Last Sunday I used one of my favorite benedictions.
It was inspired by a saying from about ten years ago:
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
There are several powerful and evocative artworks that depict the scene from Mark 9:14–29, where Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit... Some of the following have internet links, the others are worth googling. Enjoy!