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Be of good cheer because He has overcome the World

By Daniel Francis

What if I told you that God never promised us that we would not go through difficult times? Yet His grace is sufficient for us to overcome these difficulties. His presence with us while we go through our difficulties will see us through those times.

We sometimes do not expect difficult times so when they come, we feel like the sky is falling. We wonder why this is happening to us. When really, it is normal for difficulties to come and go.

We do not normalise difficulties, so we inadvertently idolise happiness or expect to always be happy. As a result of these misconceptions, we overeat in life. We try to fill our plates with only that which will make us happy and are easily surprised when the bad happens or the difficulties arise as they naturally would.

We live in a sinful, broken world and trouble will come but we must be of good cheer. We must expect the blows to come on the battlefield. We should not be surprised every time we get hit.

Recently, I sat down with a friend who is a counsellor. Admittedly, I tend to vent more readily with this friend than any of my other friends. It may be that I find comfort in knowing that this person is well-equipped and accustomed to people talking about their negative experiences or maybe this friend is just a good listener as well.

I went on about the troubles I was experiencing in writing a new book, the turbulence in some important friendships, and struggles in other areas of my life.

My friend shocked me a bit by pointing out that everything I was experiencing was a pretty normal part of life. I had to sit and marinate on that statement. I had to admit that it was right.

We will always have some type of trouble in our lives no matter how good we have it. God never promised us an easy life. John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”

He told us that we will have difficulties, but we must be of good spirit and know that He will walk alongside us when we go through our troubles.

It is a perspective thing. If we normalise difficulties as just a part of life as they seem to be, then we can better prepare for them when they occur. All these difficult periods that come into our lives whether they be financial problems, sickness, strained relationships, etc, if we normalise that difficulties will come along our journey but take solace in God’s grace, we will be prepared for these moments.

We will also come to realise that God will guide us through these times. We objectively live in a great period of human history with what we have access to. Someone 100 years in the past would not have had access to the remarkable things we take for granted today. Yet people are unhappier than they ever have been, and that is because we have grown accustomed to all the great things we have.

The next time you are standing in a hot shower, just remember that your great-grandparents may not have had such easy access to hot water. The next time you’re enjoying a great show, remember that this level of entertainment wasn’t the norm not so long ago.

So, truly look at what you have in your life and be grateful for even the small pleasures. The other aspect is knowing that troubles will come and being prepared for them.

God is with us and even though He did not promise us easy lives, He will give us the grace to traverse those challenging times when they arise.

 

Daniel Francis is a millennial helping other millennials. He is a two-time author of the books The Millennial Mind and The Millennial Experience, and an entrepreneur. Over the past four years, he has served as a Personal Development Coach whose work targets Millennials and helps them tap into their full potential. He is also a self-publishing coach and has guided hundreds on self-publishing their book successfully.

 

LinkedIn: Daniel Francis

IG: o.m.publishing

Website: www.ompublishing.org

Email: themillennialmind2020@gmail.com