Perhaps you don't know what it means to be a "Realist". Perhaps you are an Optimist...Well I'll tell you something I'm not sure I would have said when I was younger, "Being an Optimist has it's benefits".
That being said, you probably won't relate too much to this blog post if you are an all around Optimist, because though I do not claim to be a Pessimist, realism does not prefer one side over the other...And sorry to break anyone's bubble, but most times 'reality' isn't as easy as it seems.
I suppose for most of us who claim to be "Realists", we imagine that we are 'grounded', and perhaps some of us 'logical people' just imagine we are 'realists' because it sounds the coolest. We think "Ah, realism...that sounds right. Cause after all, I am grounded in 'reality'." Therefore... that should mean we know it all. Ha ha, no, but let's be honest, that last part is not perhaps something we'd admit verbally, but being a 'realist' can follow a logcial "know it all" complex for some. And then there are those who just have a firm grip on 'what's what' and those who'd rather just 'live life without a second though' see the logical people as 'know it alls', when if fact they only have knowledge to share.
Recently I did an online test to discover "What Fictional Character Are You?" It was just a short quiz, rather fun and frivolous, but it confirmed a suspicion of mine. Want to guess what character I got? Sherlock Holmes. Yes, him. Uh huh, the dedicated, observant, brilliant, get er done, unique, logical, Sherlock Holmes...who in his weakness could also be viewed as selfish, in his own world, careless, disinterested, a loner, heartless, and even a "know it all". But anyone who has read or watched a good deal on the character knows that what Sherlock truly suffers from is being a a stubborn "realist". And a verbal realist to boot.
I thank the Lord's mercy that I am of the personality that is able to keep my opinions to myself, and I thank God I'm not just like the fictional character of Sherlock who at times needs a good spanking, due to never socially disciplining himself.
Now I'm not about to make this entire blog post about 'Sherlock Holmes', I've already done that elsewhere: See link:,http://thinkbeyondthescreen.blogspot.com/2012/11/fictional-characters-and-what-we-can.html
But perhaps by mentioning him you can get a good idea of a character who sometimes fails to "feel" or "believe in the supernatural" due to his realism complex. But the truth is, no matter who we want to see ourselves, I'd say a good percentage of the time we who have the ability to be 'realists' can sometimes detach from our emotions in order to be able to face reality and essentially, embrace it. Because what you should know about the realist, is it's not enough for him to face reality, he most embrace it.
And 'detaching from one's emotions' can lead to Pessimism, before Optimism. Meaning? The Melancholy Realist, can't help but sometimes see or imagine 'the worst', 'the bleakest outcome'. But the only difference between a true Pessimist and a Melancholy Realist, is that The Realist doesn't fear or whine over what he believes could be his death, he genuinely faces it, with the courage of many.
But here's the clincher; that same courage as one may call it, that ability to de-tach from emotions in order to take on a troop, can also be a hindrance. Yes, to some this is a sought after ability, to be able to overcome any sort of emotional wall. But once it becomes natural to us as breathing to be able to block feelings...let's just say to a certain extent it's unnatural to 'not feel', and it's important that one does not lose sight of compassion and respects the feelings of others. Long explanation shortened, a man cannot practice stiffing his emotions to embrace reality, and not actually form the habit of stiffing his emotions towards all sorts of pain and trauma. It's just like a the war torn veteran.
And here comes my point...I've been pondering lately how it can be that a man who has believed in God for his entire life, has experienced his answers to prayers, has felt love, believes in the cause of the kingdom...can suddenly detach from his faith and dare to think doubtful thoughts. Where do these thoughts come from?
I believe the truth is, it's not that a man looses his consistent grasp on the Christian Reality, but rather the enemy plays with his personality weaknesses. Because deep down inside the realist, he is human, and he naturally feels too. And what does he feel? What comes against the faith of a realist? Subtle fear...fear that what he has believed is not backed logically, and that he is stepping into the zone of the emotionally led.
Because after all faith, is a matter of believing in the unseen. Truly, for Sherlocks this is a great feat, to believe in something they don't observe. Though God is all around us, and all we need do is look at the proof of his creation.
So whenever it seems like 'doubtful thoughts' fill your head. Before you freak out and throw in the towel., before you say you're 'falling from the faith', or begin to think you're not a 'Christian', remember that just because you are now a Child of God, doesn't mean your personality isn't still earthly bound, and needs to constantly be whipped into subjection. The flesh is a heady part of us. We need the Spirit to run free in our conscience and subconscious. So every once in a while when you hears doubts whisper in your ear, don't let them steal your confidence, which has great reward. You're not crazy, nor are you unsaved. Just because you don't think like the Optimist, or the very Emotional person who seems to always have belief to share, doesn't mean that you aren't Saved. Every man has his battles, every man has his weaknesses. The weakness of the blinded optimist is that he can get so caught up in the loveliness of God, that he never checks himself to see if perhaps he isn't so lovely. While the introverted realist can spend too much time focusing on the ugliness of the world, or trying to condemn himself, that he doesn't spend enough time looking up to see the loveliness of God, and His love for him.
It is pessimistic thoughts that make the realist doubt God. Fears invade his mind, the 'what ifs' tare into his head. Why? Because the realistic must embrace reality. And because no man can truly know it all, or tell the future, sometimes the realist must improvise. What is the motto of the Pessimist? It is "Expect the possible worst", or "Fear the possible worst"...but the Melancholy Realist can't help but lean that direction by his motto of "Think possibilities." And since the worst is always a 'possibility', since the realist must be grounded and ready to embrace what comes, since the realist must not be taken off guard, and since he knows life is usually not all daisies and roses, he can choose to embrace the negative possibility.
Sound complicated? Perhaps. But what you need to recognize is that life is a matter of complicated puzzles for Sherlock personalities, because we do not close our minds to possibilities, therefore the end we come to a conclusion you may not have been tracking. Haha.
What does this come down to? How do we solve the case of part time doubts?
With the most obvious recommendation of course. Love. Yes, love. Love potion #9. No, not really. More like Love potion #1. Without love, there is no faith. As the bible says "Perfect loves casts out all fear". It is hard for some Sherlocks to believe in love, because they can tend to see it is completely 'emotional', and/or they just stay away from it, because they can't relate to it. They can't relate to it, because they have let selfishness harden their hearts. Because let's face it, no man without God can be a good man. No man without the love of God can truly be a blessing to society, because we are all fallen human beings, effected by the original sin curse. Each personality is tainted.
The truth is, some of us need to stop being so caught up in being 'untouchable' and start serving instead of wanting to be served. We need to come down off our high horses, and realize that with all that is said. Our true weakness, yes the Melancholy Realist's true weakness, is his waning love tank. He needs to fill it up, because most times it's just near dry. How can our love tanks be filled? How can we become more than what we were born as? Are some people just born with more love in their tanks, or bigger tanks altogether?
Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
What we need is the love of God to fill us. We need to come before Him and ask him to fill us with his love. We need to spend time focusing on the greatest act of love ever performed, and that was what Christ did for humanity on the cross. We need to see ourselves as we truly are, weak, faulty people, in need of a Savior who can live through us, and make us vessels worth using.
1Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
~ Psalm 51: 1-17
May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:5
