[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Be of good cheer

Read: JOHN 16:31-33

Meditation verse:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Jesus told His disciples that whilst they were in this world, they would encounter challenges. However, they were to be of ‘good cheer’ because He has already overcome the world. His prescription was not for them to fast and pray in the first instance.

There are two important insights for victorious living in Jesus’ statement. ‘Be of good cheer’ speaks of having the right attitude in the face of challenges. It is often said that ‘attitude is everything’. What this implies is that your chances of overcoming a challenge are higher if the right attitude is in place. Your attitude affects your thoughts which affects your feelings and eventually determines the action you take and of course the outcomes you get. If the attitude is wrong, it will trickle down and eventually lead to a wrong outcome. Having the right attitude is a critical first step in the face of challenges.

The second insight is in the phrase; ‘I have overcome the world’. With God’s help, there is no problem without a solution. Approach challenges with the mindset of a victor. The way you view a problem will affect your ability to tackle it. If you see it as threatening and overwhelming, your brain sends a signal to the body leading to a flight or freeze response. If on the other hand, you see that challenge as an easy kill, the brain sends the right signals to the body and wills it towards finding a solution. Why is this so? The brain is a pattern matching organ. If your expectation is constantly that of disaster or if you are in the habit of using words like horrible or terrible, the brain searches for situations that match your expectation and bring it to your reality.

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). So, be of good cheer always.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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