Why Hope Isn’t the Same as Optimism

Current Teaching Series How To Get Through What You're Going Through

Why Hope Isn't the Same as Optimism By Rick Warren — May 23, 2017 “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT). Life often brings you matters that are difficult to swallow, like a sickness, a job loss, or the death of a friend or family member. Those pills are bitter going down, and we often choke on them. Rest assured that God is up to something good in your life even if you can’t see it. God is actively working to bring good out of whatever happens in your life. To hold on to hope in the midst of tough times, you’ll need to grab a hold of this truth. The Bible says it this way: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT). The Bible isn’t saying that every event in your life will be good. You and I both know that’s just not true. But it does say that when you put your whole life together, every piece of it works together for good. It’s like making a cake. You may not like the taste of each ingredient, but when it’s all put together, you can’t keep your hands off of it. God wants to bake an amazingly tasty cake with your life, and he wants to use even the distasteful and bitter elements to do it. God also doesn’t say that everything works together “like we want it to” or that every story will have a happy ending. The reality is not every business decision will make you a million dollars. Not every couple that gets married will live happily ever after. Not every child will become captain of the football team. Instead, the verse reminds us that we can have absolute confidence that the Master Designer of the universe causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God. (By the way, this promise is for “those who love God,” not for people who don’t know God yet.) Hope isn’t the same as optimism. It isn’t the belief that something bad will turn out well. It’s the absolute confidence that every part of your life ultimately makes sense regardless of how it turns out this side of eternity. From our vantage point, life looks like a mess at times. But God’s view from Heaven isn’t the same as ours. You can’t even imagine the good that God has in store for your future. In Jeremiah 29:11b God says, “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future” (NCV). Your future is in God’s hands — and there’s no better place for it to be. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How have you seen God work a bad experience out for your good? How is Jesus’ death on the cross an example of God working out good in a bad situation?

Our Gift: How To Get Through What You're Going Through Study Kit Find the strength you need to get though life’s toughest trials! Loss is a part of life. But it’s in your seasons of suffering that God wants to lavish his incredible grace and mercy on you – and give you the true and lasting peace that only come from him. Pastor Rick and Kay Warren experienced the loss of their son, Matthew, whose 27-year battle with mental illness led to the tragic loss of his life. They’ve taken the lessons they learned through their own personal experiences with loss and suffering and created a resource that will help anyone navigating through a difficult season. In this six session DVD study kit Rick and Kay will share: • How to move forward when your world collapses • What to do when suffering doesn’t seem to make sense • Where to begin your search for the path to peace • How God uses your trials to transform you • Why the Lord often hides his greatest treasure in the darkness LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes eight full length teaching CD's from Pastor Rick's series How To Get Through What You're Going Through. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: SHOCK — When Your World Collapses Session 2: SORROW — Getting Through Life’s Losses  Session 3: STRUGGLE — When Life Makes No Sense Session 4: SURRENDER — The Path To Peace Session 5: SANCTIFICATION — Transformed by Trouble Session 6: START SEEING — Finding Treasure in Darkness Session 7: SERVICE — Never Waste Your Pain PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe