But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. – Numbers 14:24, Amplified Bible

Have you ever wondered why the best motivational speakers and writers make so much money? It’s because they know how to sow and grow the seeds of optimism. Pessimism grows in the mind like weeds in the garden – naturally, without any effort on our part. Optimism grows in the mind – like plants grow in the garden – only with purposeful cultivation. Very few people know how to sow and grow optimism, and those who do earn a good living at teaching others how to do so.

In Numbers 13-14, we see just how prone our human nature is to pessimism. After the twelve scouts of Israel returned from their inspection of the Promised Land, it was obvious the land was exactly as God had described it – flowing with milk and honey. But on the heels of praise for the land came proclamations of “we can’t.” “We can’t” take the land because “we can’t” beat the people of the land, especially the giants. Pessimism ruled the day.

Only two of the scouts were recorded as having spoken up in favor of optimism: Caleb and Joshua.  In their zeal for the Lord, Caleb even overshadowed Joshua, being identified by God as having a “different spirit,” one that followed Him fully (Numbers 14:24). Both men trusted in the Lord’s ability to keep His promise, and both men were rewarded for their faith forty years later with entrance into the Promised Land.

For the non-Christian, the difference between pessimism and optimism is choice – a choice between thinking negatively or thinking positively. For the Christian, however, the difference between pessimism and optimism is trust – trusting in our natural abilities versus trusting in God’s supernatural ones. The ten pessimistic scouts and the people who followed them focused on their inadequacies. Caleb and Joshua focused on God’s super-adequacies. He is able to do anything, even conquer the giants living in the promised land we’ve been told to take.

If you are naturally pessimistic, don’t feel guilty. Most people are. But, as a Christian, you are not called to a natural existence but to a supernatural one. The Holy Spirit in-dwelt you the moment you were saved, and His supernatural life is poised to live through you if you will simply cease masking His power by continuing to trust in your own.

Trust yourself, and you’ll be pessimistic and melancholy. Trust God, and you’ll be optimistic and motivated.