Take Heart

 

 

Being a believer doesn’t mean that you’re always an optimist. That might sound strange at first glance, but there’s an understanding that comes with faith.

It’s not so much that we simply ARE optimistic; it’s the importance of WHAT we are optimistic about.

If we are optimistic that all of our circumstances in life will go smoothly, well, we stand to be disappointed. If we are optimistic that we will never have pain and suffering, that may prove to be unrealistic.

So are we to be fatalists? Certainly not.

That thing we call optimism has an umbilical cord of sorts. It gets its nourishment and life support from a source. If we attach that cord to circumstances, people or situations we will surely lose our optimism for life.

The life source of our optimism needs to be in our faith in Christ. When we live into the words of Christ we become “optimistic realists”.

Jesus said in John 16:33 “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.”

We know that life has its ups and downs; and Christs hope is, that we find in this roller coaster ride, a peace in the downs as well as the ups; that we learn to be content in the rainy days as well as the sunny days.

There is contrast drawn into this life that helps to amplify the beautiful days. The contrast of the clouds apposed to the sun. 

One day on the other side of this life we will live in perfection with God. Until that time we seek to recognize the beauty in all things.

That’s not easy in the midst of tragedy. That’s not simple in the middle of pain.

But Jesus has said “Take heart!”

Most people speak of rainy days very differently than farmers do. Every farmer knows that rain is the down payment on the future!

Rain might postpone our soccer game or make travel a challenge, but for the farmer the rain is nurturing the crops and enriching the soil of future growth.

To this end, every metaphor does have its limits. Farmers can of course tell us about times when rain flooded out their crop or delayed planting. Our pain can’t simply be solved with simple aphorisms. (The ones that sounds good when we’re feeling good but frustrate us when we’re feeling bad.)

The apostle Paul said it so well when he said “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Christ was with him in the Philippian jail. Christ was with him in persecution and through betrayal. Christ taught him to have hope in rainy days.

May we too find hope even in our rainy days. May we find nourishment and strength in the storms of life. We many times appreciate the strength we’ve received after the storm is over. Many times we don’t see the power in the rain until the sun has come back.

The thing is the sun never went away, it was just covered with what we could see. The clouds.

The Son never goes away either. We just sometimes put him behind our pain and suffering instead of remembering he is right there.

Don’t let your circumstances cover that truth like clouds. Don’t let your discouragement overshadow the brilliance of the light. It’s still there. He is still there.

The sun is still there.

The Son is still there.

“Take heart!”

-Pastor Patti