Take Heart!

I asked a lady a couple of weeks ago, what she would consider a good life. She said to believe in Jesus, and not have anything go wrong. Paraphrased: to live life without any problems.

First, that seems like a boring life, everyone needs some sort of stress in life. Without being engaged in relationships, events, and occupation, life would be extremely boring. That will be a problem! Many believers fall into this kind of thinking. We don’t want anything to go wrong. It is a bad thing disguised as something good I think.

Why do I say that?

Because we think because Christ died on the cross for sins, reconciling man to God, and making a new creation, life should be smooth on out. But we must not forget God’s work is not done until death and sin are finally vanquished. His work continues today. We join in his work of releasing those in captive and many forms of slavery. We will feel the pain in the struggle.

Jesus says in John 16:33, that WE WILL have trouble in this world, BUT TAKE HEART, HE HAS overcome the world! We miss out on an incredible opportunity to take heart in Christ’s victory when we focus on the wrongful things that have been done to us, and are going on around in the world. They will continue to happen, because that is the state of the world today until sin is finally arrested and death destroyed. We wish it were not, certainly! But it is until The Lie of Satan has reached full manhood and then trampled. But now, we have the joy in taking heart in the one who overcame the world! 

Do not lose heart, brother, sister. Take courage in the grace of the Lord, and do not let your heart slip in discouragement. Guard your heart.