Taking Heart in Trouble

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

These are the words Jesus tells us in John 16:33, and these past few years this verse has been one of my favorite pieces of text in all the Bible. The Revised Standard Version uses be of good cheer instead of take heart.

What exactly does this mean? The phrase be of good cheer to me means to be cheerful, happy, joyful. Take heart adds substance to it, as in "resolve to be joyful."

Charles Williams, a close friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien (and one of the Inklings), in his 1937 translation of the New Testament, puts it this way: "Be courageous."

Jesus isn't telling us to be blindly happy, dancing through a field of tulips and whistling "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" while an enemy fighter plane is dropping bombs all around us. I contend that happiness that comes from intentional ignorance is irresponsible and foolish. (Why? Well, as I attempt to explain below, God calls us to come to Him, and He will provide that peace, that joy; trying to find true joy from any other source is futile). In some very real sense, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it in Cost of Discipleship, we need to "count the cost."

So the ideal phrase in English would be something that means to be cheerful, joyful, courageous, and to take heart. When you sit back and think about it, it does take courage (and trust and faith) to encounter a tough situation and to hand it to God. It takes courage to act in a way that is contrary to what those around you are counseling you to do (Job had great courage!); it takes courage to be truly cheerful and filled with joy when the world around you seems to be crumbling; it is the courageous one who can "take heart" and get up every morning praising God even in the midst of unemployment or health issues or facing the gallows. And when that courage is exercised; when that faith is demonstrated; I think God does provide a cheer, a joy, that can't possibly come from anywhere else.

The trouble needs to be acknowledged in order for the courage to be demonstrated and the joy to be made manifest.

But there's a danger of stepping too far over to the other side of that fine line. I know many Christians - myself included at times, I fear - who are so solemn and somber because they do count the cost, and then they dwell on the price and forget about the "be of good cheer" part. Or while they're being cautious, they let worry and anxiety seep back in and it overwhelms any thoughts of joy.

Love, joy, peace ... there it is, listed in the fruit of the spirit. Joy is only truly joy if it is detached from anxiety, from feelings of worry. Maybe that's why it's listed right next to peace. Again, peace isn't a blind "I'm unaware of my surroundings" kind of thing. Peace - and joy - are knowing that God is in control; that His plan is perfect; that He won't allow you to be tempted beyond what He also provides you strength to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13); and that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

In the world we WILL have trouble. But Jesus tells the weary to come to him, and he will give them rest (Matthew 11:28). Jesus tells us to Ask, Seek, and Knock (Matthew 7:7). Jesus tells us that he is our Good Shepherd (John 10). And Jesus tells the thief on the cross that today "you will be with me" in paradise (Luke 23:43).

In the specific context of John 16, I think trouble refers to the disciples being scattered upon Jesus' arrest and the dangers that await them later. This is persecution, and certainly it applies here. But in a more general context, I think it isn't limited to persecution. We as Christians will have trouble - whether it's persecution or just the "regular stuff" that everyone else goes through too. And the troubles that we face here on earth are things that potentially turn our eyes away from Jesus, away from where we should be focused.

How many of us were blind-sided by the recent economic downturn? I'm no economist, but this feels different than other recessions that I've been through in my forty-seven years on this planet. This financial swamp is impacting both short term needs and long term planning.

There are things like college costs, automobile repairs, household maintenance, high fuel bills, etc. But there are also a lot of 401K plans out there that have been torn to shreds, and people who were near retirement are canceling that retirement vacation cruise and have no idea when they'll be able to say good-bye to the job.

In all honesty, being able to retire and live out the remaining golden years feels like a pipe dream right now.

And this is probably the norm for most of you out there who are reading this. You're struggling too.

I have to admit that I've been unsettled by the whole thing, and for a few days after the crisis began, maybe more, I'd find myself waking up in the middle of the night, heart racing.

But He tells us to cast our burdens ...

The inner struggle of prideful man - and the advice that the world gives - is to deal with this ourselves, on our own terms. "Just do it," says a sports company.

But God says, "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

And we hear again, in Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Again, in John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have overcome the world." We know the end of the story! We may face hunger and broken relationships and destruction and death -- and no, it's not easy going through any of that -- but we know the end of the story. Satan has been defeated.

I need to keep reminding myself what the Psalmist says in 42:5,

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

The beautiful thing is that when we who are weary come to Him, He really does take our burdens; He really does provide rest; He really does enable us to take heart and be of good cheer. The joy and peace that can really only come from Him does come.

Praise God!

Jesus has overcome the world. Let's live like we really believe it.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.