Cheer or fear, choose
wisely
I think it’s safe to say, we have all had “one
of those days!” Maybe it turns into one of those weeks or one of those years,
but we all have to deal with trouble of some sort. I usually don’t have to look
very far to find someone that is worse off than me.
Troubles often vary
in degrees, from minute to devastating but we all come face to face with difficult
situations every day. We react to these problems in equally diverse ways. Smaller
problems are usually easy for me to ignore but it’s the larger ones that make
me want to stay in bed with the covers over my head.
John
16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have (perfect)
peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress
and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain,
undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I deprived it of its power to harm
you.)AMP
I have to admit that “good cheer” is not my
usual response to trouble. Trials, distress and frustrations tend to suck the
cheer, right out of me and fear replaces peace in the blink of an eye.
Focusing on the victory
that Jesus has provided for me gives me the courage to face my day. Even if my
first response is one out of fear or aggravation, I can eventually have peace
by choosing to be undaunted by my circumstances. No matter how hopeless things
may seem, no matter how hard it gets, I can still be confident that I will
emerge unharmed and even have a good attitude and a joyful heart through the promise of God and the great work his Son did for each of us.
