All right, I admit it! I’m not the most optimistic person you will ever meet. How I envy those who naturally see the glass half-full, look for the good in others, walk on the sunny side of the street, look for the silver lining or any other irritating positive cliché you want to use. I’m not really a pessimist but I have to work hard to focus on the part of the glass that’s half-full. I think it’s in man’s nature to be somewhat negative.
This was even true in biblical times. For example, remember the story of the twelve spies who were sent to survey Canaan? (Numbers 13)
God told Moses to send twelve spies to spy out the land God had promised the Israelites. One man was chosen from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These men would have been considered leaders. They were to survey the land and see what it was like. Was it fertile or barren, full of forests or open fields? Were the people strong or weak, few or many? Were the cities strongholds or camps?
So they went to do their duty. They even brought back some fruit of the land – figs, pomegranates, and grapes. When they returned, everyone gathered together to hear their report. Joshua and Caleb said the land flowed with milk and honey. There were a few problems but nothing they couldn’t handle with God’s help.
The other ten spies basically said, “Are you out of your mind? You are crazy. We can’t take these people. They are stronger and bigger than us. They are like giants and we are like grasshoppers. And you know what? The land isn’t all that great either.”
Now, all twelve had seen the same land and people. The difference had to be their perspective. The ten spies with the negative report could only see obstacles that needed to be overcome. They felt inadequate and did not want to tackle it. Joshua and Caleb looked at the task ahead and knew nothing was too difficult for their God to handle. After all, had God not brought them out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea. Okay, so we might have a little trouble but God will make up for their lack.
Here we have a classic half-full/half-empty scenario. What was the result? (Numbers 14)
The people chose to side with the ten negative spies over Joshua and Caleb. They wept and murmured. They assumed they would be killed if they took this land. Instead of focusing on all that God had done for them, they wanted to find a new leader other than Moses and go back to Egypt. God was not pleased.
The Israelites had not believed God’s promises, so they were doomed to wander the wilderness for forty years and die without entering the Promised Land. Only their children could enter. And thus we have references to this event throughout the Bible.
Of course, God allowed Joshua and Caleb to enter when the time came because they did believe God. I often wondered how Joshua and Caleb felt about having to wander in the wilderness all those years when they have given the good report. Being positive fellows, they probably didn’t harbor any ill will towards the rest of the Israelites – especially after the first twenty years or so.
So here’s a little secret on this half-full/half- empty thing: Those who don’t look to God will tend to see the glass half-empty, never be satisfied, and feel lacking. Those who truly trust and believe God will tend to see the glass half-full. They know God has the ability to fill the glass to the top and overflowing. After all, only God can supply all our needs. (Philippians 4:19)
