The Bible has many promises for the believer. For instance, Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” We call ourselves “believers” because we believe what the Bible says, and that includes what Jesus says. For instance, one way we can test our faith and maturity is to ask if we are people of “good cheer” in hard times.
Jesus could make this statement because of His inexhaustible power over life and death, heaven and hell, and angels and demons. The world, the flesh, and the devil cannot prevent His purposes from coming to pass. We have reasons to have good cheer.
Are we people of faith? Have we examined our faith recently? Do we believe the words of Jesus–really believe them?
Because I really believe these words of Jesus, I can trust that He has complete control over my life, where I have little control of it. Before I lay my head down to sleep, I can lay all my troubles and uncertainties at His feet, and rest. Sometimes I have little control of my thoughts, but He has full control of the world, and thus my world.
When I wake up, I thank Jesus for coming into my uncertain world. I give Him permission to control my life. I call Him Lord, the same Lord who rose from the dead to give me life. I remind myself of His greatness by worshiping Him. All this I can say after 40 years of walking with Him.
This is examining the faith life honestly. Although we believe what the Bible says, we can’t actually hold all the Bible in our heads at once, can we? But we can meditate on its truths daily and choose to believe what the Spirit puts before our eyes that day.
We can make decisions today based on the truths uncovered today. We can examine our lives and see how it lines up with the perspective God has of the world, life, and everything. We can pray for wisdom regarding the word we received, and adjust the parts of us that are under our control to match up with His truth. We can change our thinking as much as we are able and entrust the rest to the One who changes us from glory to glory.
We examine the sphere of influence we have on the world and adjust expectations. Should today’s tribulations upset me? Shouldn’t today’s uncertainties point me to trust in a rock-solid Jesus?
Is there some aspect of my life I need to lose that I may conform to His life? He is, after all, the only perfect human being to walk this world. The only way to live in the kingdom of God is by faith. Without faith it’s impossible to please God.
By faith in the word we see the world and life as He sees it, and live by that perspective. We don’t depend so much on our faculties, for they cannot change us into the image of the Son, which is the Spirit’s goal in this life. We see God as the Father guiding us through life, and Jesus saw the Father doing the same.
We see the world by His perspective, that He is sovereign over all. He is working out all things to reconcile all things to Him. That includes every broken part of our being. He intends to use this hostile world to bring us to depend on Him and His life. He has overcome the world. It is our part to examine the world according to His viewpoint and work with Him as He works, so every part of our lives are reconciled to Him who owns it.
As mentioned, we can’t hold the whole Bible in our heads at once, but we can ponder parts of it each day. As much as is in us, we can believe the truth before us and adjust our life (repent) to match up with what He has revealed.
Then we are working out what He is working within. Then we are doing His will on earth that He is ordering in heaven. Then we are acting like we really believe God. We are examining our faith lives and bringing it into conformity to His.
If we are not reading and pondering Scripture truths, then we are believing the thoughts of our own minds. If Jesus is Lord of our lives, we follow His word. If we follow our own perspective picked up from the world and its ways, we follow another lord. And the tribulations of that world will fill us with fears, worries, and doubts, at the very least.
Let’s examine our faith life. Let’s make sure we are living out the truths revealed to us in the word of God. Let’s not blindly parrot what we see and hear, but dedicate our hearing and seeing to line up with Scripture.
We want to be those of more cheery disposition in hard times because of what we believe of the Christ. In this way we shine the light of a God with whom we delight to know, and to whom we have given permission to change our lives at will. We show that we read the word each day, and truly believe, living as people of faith.
