God has taught me that plenty of hard things will happen to you in this life. Jesus told us plainly that they would, right?
Right!
“In this world you shall have tribulation…”
But perhaps the most difficult for me to learn, and endure, has been the knowledge that these “hard things” happen, even in the CENTER of His will.
Try that idea on, and then recall the rest of the verse.
“… but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Good cheer? Overcome? Like this?
Yeah, that is definitely a very HARD thing!
For instance, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve been robbed. Not an easy thing. The violation you feel whether you have been robbed physically, emotionally, or intellectually, is difficult to endure let alone, “be of good cheer!”
I confess. It took me years, many of them, to GET to the “cheer” part. And there are days, even now, I still struggle with this. I don’t think anyone enjoys being victimized.
So, how do I get to cheer?
How do I make the leap from feeling like a victim to actually being an overcomer?
I think it comes in steps.
First, I remember that if anyone knew about victimization it was Jesus Christ. The innocent spotless Lamb of God who suffered torture and death for me. For my sin. He paid my debt. He knows how I feel.
Second, He overcame by laying it all down. All of it. Again, for me!
I don’t remember who said it but I remember reading once, “You can trust the Man that died for you.”
If He says by laying my life down I will find it?
I choose to believe until I feel it.
I have chosen to follow Him anywhere—even through the hard things!
Yes, still I will follow because…
Every MOUNTAIN is making me a climber. Every GIANT is calling out a fighter! Every HEARTACHE only makes Your love go deeper and deeper. And, I’m just getting started!
“I’ve told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them.” John 16: 1-4 The Message
