Optimism, the 10th strongest contributing factor of spiritual luster, can be defined as the degree to which you choose to witness and spread joy. When you spread joy you open-up the portals of your soul to let God’s grace come pouring in. Jesus encouraged us to always be of ‘good cheer;’ good cheer involves joy, and joy results in optimism.
Joy means to gain great pleasure and delight, feel it in inner celebration, and express it as inner radiance. Spiritual joy is the emotional exhilaration that flows from the inner knowledge that God is your true reality, even when you may be encumbered in pain, suffering and/or deprivation. One of the fundamental paradoxes of life is that we live both in the abundance of spirit and grace, as well as poverty of spirit, of commitment and of joy; sometimes simultaneously, and sometimes not.
When that rush of spiritual luster mysteriously overtakes me I feel that enveloped in love. The feeling is like bird surprisingly erupting in flight from an unknown warren; its brilliance and grace so dramatic… so startling. I feel a tender specialness like no other. I’m mesmerized! In an instant I’m back to my secure home, back to the place I never left.
True joy, and its resultant optimistic spirit, is the result of knowing that we shall always have the full measure of God’s grace throughout our life.
Scripture
My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit finds joy in God my savior. Luke 1:47
Happy is the one who makes the Lord their trust. Psalm 40:5
Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24
Rejoice with those who rejoice, that your joy may be full. Romans 12:15
The Apostles, for their part, left the Sanhedrin full of joy that they had been judged worthy of ill-treatment for the sake of His name. Acts 5:41
The beggar went into the temple with Peter and John, walking, jumping about, and praising God. Acts 4:8
Rejoice in hope, be patient under trial, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:12