“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
There's no way around it, we're going to get wet sometimes. Yet we are told that in Christ we may have peace. That's a treasured and beautiful truth but not really the part that was jumping out at me today. It was the second half that was catching my attention. I always find "tribulation" and "good cheer" to be in such start contrast to one another! Now sometimes I think things get a little lost in the translation so I like to look words up in Strong's concordance for clarity. To be of "good cheer" can also mean to be of "good comfort" but it comes from another word that means "to have courage."
In Merriam-Websters dictionary courage means: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
One thing I've found that happens when you are and have gone through stormy seasons of life is that you lose your sense of adventure. Your greatest desire is for stability. You feel that you've had all the "surprise" that you can stomach and you really just want to pop open your umbrella and plod along.
Sometimes I feel guilty about this. When I was young I was very adventurous! Resistance only invigorated me and I pressed in harder. Now to be plodding along with my umbrella seems like a sad condition for a once so fiery person. But what did the definition say?
Mental or moral strength to venture? What does that mean?
Venture: to proceed especially in the face of danger.
Proceed. To move along a course. It doesn't say "run", it doesn't say "skipping and giggling" it says proceed.
Though the younger me charging passionately out into the unknown can seem much more glorious than me today simple putting one foot in front of the other, the latter takes far more courage. The young me knew there was a danger of getting hurt, the older me has experienced the pain. So for me to venture is for me to proceed not in the face of perceived danger but a known danger.
Down in the bottom corner of my screen my computer tells me the weather. Parodically it interrupts the current conditions to give me the forecast for the week ahead. Several times now it's popped up with an umbrella and says: Rainy Days Ahead.
In this life we are going to have "rainy days" (or as Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4:17 "light affliction". Ha, ha!) These "light afflictions" can make us feel a little shaky, but let me encourage you, you don't have to feel enthusiastic and adventurous, you just need to venture. Just put one foot in front of the other and don't stop.
Dear Father, may You grant us the courage to venture and the hope to keep going even though we know there will be rainy days. May Your truth be ever before us, for we know as 2 Corinthians 4:17 says that these light afflictions are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
May we continually fix our eyes on You the source of our peace.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Comments
Post a Comment