Christian Living

IS YOUR GLASS HALF EMPTY, OR IS IT HALF FULL

by Charles (Chuck) Robey
01/28/16
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IS YOUR GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL ?. Before you answer, lets first  look at the difference in the two idioms, namely  Optimism and Pessimism, which have always been connected to this idiom.

Optimism is a form of positive thinking that includes the belief that you are responsible for your own happiness and that more good things will continue to happen to you in the future

Pessimism is a state of mind in which one anticipates undesirable outcomes or believes that the evil or hardships in life outweigh the good or luxuries.

Traditionally, the optimist (a realist)  sees the glass as half full while the pessimist (worrywart)  sees it as half empty. So, how does this age old cliché parallel to the Christian mindset ?

Simply put, an optimist is a positive thinker. And being positive, they don't give up on the future (Jeremiah 29:11). They will rationalize  the hope of the scripture, when it is explained (1 Cor 15:1-4).  They will  see that this worlds current evil environment  is due to our inbred sin that started with the fall of mankind in the "Garden of Eden" (Genesis 3:1-7). They will also understand that God has promised an escape, for this evil world, through God's free grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), and through the person of Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17).i

And for the Christian Optimist believer, repentance is the only way out of this evil  (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Whereas a pessimist is willing to  take this evil worlds current conditions in lien of the possibility of better times ahead.  They just don't believe God can and will make the world's circumstances better for them, if they only submit to God's purpose for their lives (Leviticus 26:27-28). They continued to mock God's promises (2 Chronicles 36:16) .   

So is your spiritual glass half full ( a realist)  or half empty (a worrywart) .  Please take a moment and consider this simple test. Afterward, please commit your thoughts to prayer.   

Do you expect the best or worst outcome for this old world ?
Does your outlook affect your Christian testimony ?
Do you have faith and trust in other believers ?
Do you expect the best in other believers ?
If something can go wrong for your Christian experience, will it ?
Do good things  ever happen to you ?

 Traditional speaking, I'd much rather have my spiritual glass "half full", (Philippians 1:21) as  being "half empty" (John 3:36). What about you, beloved ?

Author's Post Script

This idiom is used to explain how people perceive events and objects. Perception is unique to every individual and is simply one's interpretation of reality. The phrase "Is the glass half empty or half full" can be referred to as a philosophical question.

 So, the glass being half empty or half full is a common expression, generally used rhetorically to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty), or as a general litmus test to simply determine an individual's worldview. The purpose of the question is to demonstrate that the situation may be seen in different ways depending on one's point of view and that there may be opportunity in the situation as well as trouble.

Yes, this expression "Is the glass half-full or half-empty", has for many years highlighted the tendency for two people to see the same situation in different ways . A Christian will see the worlds current events differently than a non-believer. In other words, I've read the back of the book (Revelation) and we win.