Think Realistically

Don’t begin until you count the cost.’ Luke 14:28 NLT

The disparity between what you want and what you get is what you call truth. It can be difficult for you to think realistically if you are a normally optimistic person. You might think it's the polar opposite of confidence. Faith, on the other hand, does not reject the problem; rather, it binds you with God, who will help you solve it. Here are two things that practical thinking will help you with:

(1) Keep unneeded threats to a minimum. Any move has a repercussion. Thinking strategically will assist you in determining the potential effects. This is especially true when your decisions have an impact on others. Expect the best but prepare for the worst, as the old adage goes "By thinking in this manner"you can avoid taking unnecessary risks. It gives you a target and a strategy for achieving it. The good news is that you must have a sense of optimism in order to excel. The bad news is that hoping isn't a tactic.

(2) Demonstrate what has to be altered. Shift is rarely a high priority for people who depend entirely on optimism for their future. If all you have is optimism, you're implying that success is beyond your control. Why keep adjusting because it's all a matter of luck and chance? Nothing beats looking truth in the face to make you see what has to be done. Change by itself does not result in growth, but growth without change is impossible. Following Christ is the most blessed and happy life you will have, but it comes with a tag. And Jesus was honest about it: 'You cannot be My apostle until you bear your own cross and serve Me...' Don't start until you've calculated the rate.' (New Living Translation, Luke 14:27–28)