Week 25 John 16
One of my favourite “Verses To (try to) Live By” is where Jesus told his disciples: these things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
I broke down the verse. Reordered and personalized it:
a) in this world I’ll have to face tribulation & adversity
b) but Jesus has overcome the world
c) so I can exercise my courage
d) the result for me will be peace & confidence.
Whenever I face a risky situation I’m automatically leery about acting. It’s maybe indecision. Fearfulness. Uncertainty. Self-preservation. But if the situation is actually worth acting on then I have to engage my courage. Courage is what stiffens-up my action-taking mechanism.
Anyway…in John Jesus says that the ecosystem I inhabit is adversarial in nature – in a permanent & ongoing way. So it’s an environment that’s always taking some courage for me to face. And Jesus says my courage isn’t dumb or foolish courage. It’s legitimate because he has prevailed over the system.
Note: quote from John 16:33 (NASB)
I looked at this verse in some other versions. More than 20 of them (~40%) used the word courage (or be courageous. Be encouraged. Take courage. Have courage). But quite a few (~15) used expressions like cheer up or be of good cheer. I’m not sure how the two stack up against each other. But be courageous seems weightier & more sturdy than cheer up. I prefer courage.