Optimism or Faith ?

God is the rock of my salvation

I've always been a naturally trusting person. I tend to believe the best is yet to come, that no situation is truly hopeless, and—perhaps to a fault—that there’s something good in everyone. You could say I’m an optimist, the kind who sees the glass as half full.

And yet, faced with the turbulence of these past few years, that nature of mine was seriously put to the test. I watched what once felt like a solid, inseparable part of my identity begin to crack—like someone was taking a jackhammer to it.

When life doesn’t unfold the way you expected, when bad news keeps coming with no sign of hope, bringing pain and disappointment along with it, optimism no longer seems to be enough. You can try to see the best in people, but when what shows up instead is cruelty or indifference, that idealized view starts to fade—and trust gets broken. And for someone who always sees the good in others, that kind of fall can hurt deeply.

Still, I believe that through all these trials and disappointments, God is trying to lead us into a trust in Him that cannot be shaken. When circumstances fail you and the people around you let you down, you can either sink into self-pity and isolation—or you can choose to put your trust in God.

Have you heard this verse from the Bible?

“God is the rock of my salvation.”

At first, it might sound a little abstract. It did to me, even just a few months ago. But let me share what comes next:

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.”

I will not be shaken. No matter the circumstances, God wants to bring you to that strong place in Him where you can say—and truly feel—that you’re standing on something solid. Something unshakable. A rock.

It might sound unbelievable, but that’s the work God wants to do in each of us. Sometimes, He allows difficult—even tragic—circumstances to bring us to a place of full and total dependence on Him.

I remember what God said to me when everything around me felt like it was falling apart and I thought I couldn’t take it anymore:

“Do you fear people more than you fear Me? Since when did their opinion matter more?”

Sometimes God shakes us with the way He sees our situations. His perspective isn’t like ours. That question hit me hard—but it was exactly what I needed. Who—or what—was I depending on? What was the foundation of my life, my emotions?

There are moments when life feels unfair, when the pain seems unbearable, and optimism takes a serious hit. Being optimistic just isn’t enough anymore.

But God, in the middle of all our mess, is working to make us unshakable—not detached from life, but free from the systems and mindsets that keep us bound. He brings us back to solid ground—not the kind built on wishful thinking, but on Christ, the rock of our salvation. The One who never changes. The One whose promises never fail.

So whether you’re naturally pessimistic, or an optimist like me, here’s the good news: you can change.

You can stop relying on your feelings or your perception of events, and start leaning on what God promises—if you choose to trust Him.