I think that the expression, “That it is better to look at a
glass half-full rather than half-empty,”
aptly expresses the idea of either being an optimistic person or a pessimistic
one. Pessimistic people tend to lend toward negative ideas and see
events as a foreboding of more bad things to come. On the other hand, optimistic people see
things in a more positive light and tend to believe that things will turn out alright
even if they start badly.
Many years ago, famed evangelist Rev. Oral Roberts, coined
the phrase, “Something good is going to happen to you.” Religion world-wide could not understand how
someone would have the audacity to boldly declare that believers serve a good
God and that He has good things for His people.
His goodness does not depend on anything that we have done or ever will
do. His goodness comes into our lives
and lifts us even when others condemn us, He does not condemn. He thinks the best of us and for us.
One day during Jesus’ ministry a woman was caught in adultery
by the religious leaders and was brought to Jesus (John 8: 2 – 12). There intent was not to restore the woman, or
the man (who is not mentioned in this narrative although the Mosaic Law equally
required punishment for him as well), but they were using her and the situation
to entrap Jesus. However, Jesus did not
go along with their line of thought nor their intentions. Rather, He did what grace does, “He stooped down
and wrote on the ground.” The woman
could not run away she had nowhere to go and no one to speak for her.
But someone would stoop for her. Jesus, “Stooped down and wrote on the ground
(vs. 8).” Most people would stand up,
step forward, or even walk up a stair to speak.
But not grace, instead He lend over.
He descended lower than anyone else—beneath the priest, the people, even
beneath the woman. The accusers looked
down on her. To see Jesus, they had to
look down even farther.
Jesus is prone to stoop. He stooped to wash feet to embrace children. He stooped to pull Peter out of the sea, to pray in the Garden. He stooped before the whipping post stooped to carry the cross. Grace is a God who stoops. Here He stooped to write in the dust.
The crowd kept demanding and answer so He stood up. He stood not to preach, for His words were
few, not for long, because he would soon stoop again. Not to instruct his followers; he did not address
them. No, He stood on behalf of the
woman. He placed Himself between her and
the lynch mob and said, “All right, stone her.
But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones. Then He stooped down again and wrote in the
dust” (vs. 7-8).
What a question for us to think about, as well. Voices of condemnation awaken us from a sense of peace and well-being.
“You are not good enough.”
“You will never make it.”“You will never improve.”
“You failed—again.”
The voice of pessimism fills our minds. Guilt, condemnation, error and fault finding are sent by the enemy the accuser of the brethren to remind us failure.
Friend, Christ has freed us from a guilty
conscience that is pessimistic which tells us that we are not good enough, we
do not measure up, we do not deserve good things, or whatever negative thing
the enemy whispers in your ear. Christ
has set you free. He has stood up for you and is still standing
up for you at the right hand of the Father ever living to make intercession for
you. His grace is flowing to you right now through these words. Let them come into your mind, into your
heart. Let faith arise and think on the
good things that Christ has done and is doing for you.
