optimism – Leland Acker

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

… is that they’re being lied to.

In 1994, the picture painted for me by many of the adults in my life was bleak. At the age of 16, I had already achieved obsolescence. And this message came from adults in all areas of my life.

My generation was told that the economy we were preparing to enter wouldn’t exist. And while this was technically true, the insinuation was that we would be left out of the future economy, that the opportunities that were afforded our parents would not be afforded to us.

We were told that Japan’s economic power was rising, and if we were to survive in the 21st century, we best be learning Japanese, because that’s who we would be working for.

We were told that American manufacturing is dead, and that the future belonged to those with college degrees. Don’t go into the trades. Don’t learn mechanics or welding, or the building trades.

We were told we were going to be crushed by the economic load we would inherit. With a skyrocketing national debt, and with there being five Baby Boomers on Social Security for every Gen-X’er in the work force, we should expect most of our income to go to taxes.

I could go on, but the point is, all the negativity, pessimism and hopelessness being peddled to my generation turned out to be completely false.

True, the economy I grew up in no longer exists, and neither does that world or society. But, there’s opportunity here. The world has changed, but life is still good.

We no longer fear the Japanese. It’s the Chinese we fear now. Chances are, we’ll see the same result.

Manufacturing is alive and well, with new facilities being built in Texas and across the American South, with technology and energy production driving much of that growth.

Those who ignored the bad advice and went into the trades are doing quite well now.

Social Security has not imploded, and the Millennials along with a robust economy have helped Gen-X make sure the Social Security checks clear.

Life is different, but still good. Sometimes I grieve the changes, and I feel nostalgic for the way we did things back in the 90s, but overall, life is good.

As I visit with my 22-year-old son, I hear the same hopelessness that was sold to me being sold to him. He is being told he’ll never be able to own a house. In fact, he may never own anything according to what he’s being told.

He’s being told the corporations are stealing everything, the Chinese will replace us as the world’s superpower, and that he’ll never achieve the same standard of living that I did. (And I am far from being in the upper class.)

I can’t for the life of me imagine that he’s the only one being told this. And, unlike me, who heard these lies in small doses, he’s inundated with this via social media and the internet.

So, in addition to the Gospel, what I want to tell these kids is… “It’s all going to be okay.”

Do not be discouraged by the despair that is being pushed on you by miserable people who seek relief by placing their misery upon your shoulders. The things you fear will never happen. The things they fear will never happen.

And faith is key to finding peace in a world that pushes fear.

In Psalm 16, David says, “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”

David has placed his faith (trust) in God, is praying that the Lord preserves him, and is trusting the Lord to preserve him.

David’s faith was likely based on his experiences. On numerous occasions God stepped in for David, delivered him and preserved him. It was God’s intervention that made him king to begin with.

David’s identity was interwoven with God’s hand on his life, and therefore he could find peace and joy in the Lord, and in life, even when everything around him failed.

Therefore, David was able to “set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Verse 8).

David goes on to make a profound statement in verse 10, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

That verse does two things. One, it expresses faith in God that He will not abandon David in his time of suffering. He will not leave his soul in hell. Pain is short, troubled times pass, but God remains, always.

More importantly, however, is that this is a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Christ. One reason for us to be optimistic and trust the Lord is that Christ rose again.

And the resurrection of Christ conquered death, so that we can inherit eternal life and enter into God’s Kingdom when our lives here on earth are over. Furthermore, the resurrection of Christ provides us a divine advocate, as the resurrected Jesus sits at the right hand of God pleading for us on a daily basis.

And even further, the resurrection proves God’s power and His desire and ability to do good to us.

So, on that note, David reaffirms his faith in the Lord, and takes on an optimistic outlook on life as he dwells in His presence.

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

The world is going to change. It’s been constantly changing and evolving at an increasing pace since World War II. But if you trust in the Lord and follow His leadership, you will find joy and pleasure in life, no matter what the world looks like in the future.

When I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, we often talked about what life would be like in the future. A common expression to introduce such daydreams was, “In the year 2000….”

That phrase and concept became the basis for a bit on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on NBC. Conan satirized futuristic thinking with such quips as, “In the year 2000, Coke and Pepsi will merge, and successfully market a product called, ‘You Will Drink This Crap and Like It.'” and “Golfer Casey Martin will win the right to drive his golf cart, at the Indianapolis 500.”

Late night comedy aside, there was a time in the mid-20th Century that Americans genuinely had a sense of optimism. And why not? We had won World War II, new technologies were emerging daily, medical advancements were curing once-fatal diseases, and America enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity.

This optimism was captured by the above-posted Walter Cronkite special. All the way back in 1967, he predicted multiple channels and digital TV listings, large screen TVs, the internet, the home office, homeschooling, and online recipes. The technology we have today isn’t as clunky as demonstrated by Cronkite, but it accomplishes the same thing.

“By 2001, home computers will be just as common as telephones,” Cronkite predicted. That was a huge prediction, considering that most computers in 1967 took up entire rooms, and the home computer hadn’t been invented yet.

He also predicted 6-hour workdays and month-long vacations. Those didn’t quite pan out.

The optimism of the 1960s didn’t just provide a wishful look at the future, it inspired greatness. We founded companies, invented products, built schools and bought homes knowing that life in the future was going to be better. By the time the 1980s rolled around, we were dreaming of flying cars, holograms, teleportation, and world peace.

The assumption in town was that the town would grow, and the business community wanted to grow with it. The bowling alley bought the land next door to build a putt-putt course. The skating rink expanded to add an arcade. The mall installed an ice rink in the center of all the action. Remember when the mall was the place to be?

The optimism that spurred the joy and growth of the late 20th Century is gone. No longer do we hold the assumption that technology will improve, that the economy will grow, and the town will get bigger. We no longer assume that the next generation will enjoy a better standard of living than our own. In fact, many believe it will be worse.

In a world where America won the Cold War, and rapid advancements are being made in technology and medicine, we no longer look to better times in the future. Instead of preparing to grow, we assume that tough times are ahead, and we fortify ourselves for the downturn.

So, what happened? What changed?

Is it the vitriolic nature of the political discourse of the day? Is it the ongoing threat of lawsuits? Is it the declining manufacturing sector due to increased overseas competition?

I can’t place my finger on it. If you can, let me know.

Meanwhile, I’m going to enjoy the times we have now. If life has taught me anything, it’s that I will one day look back on today, in spite of its difficulties, and say, “those were the days.” Who knows, maybe I’ll catch a daydream of how great tomorrow can be.