Foundational Thoughts from Care Ministry Pastor Ben Wilson

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Jesus guarantees we will have trouble in this life. Not maybe, could, might or probably have trouble but that we will encounter trouble. Life will be hard.

Trouble arrives. Trouble brings its close friends of pain, suffering and loss along for the ride. We want to get out of it as quickly as possible. We thrash about trying to escape the pain and mostly just end up (slicing up our hearts and the hearts of others) causing more damage. Time after time we are reminded that we live in a fallen world. 

Take heart. Jesus says He's conquered the world so 'take heart'. Seize or grasp heart. What does that mean when life is hard and you are having a difficult time getting your mind and soul around your feelings and the events in your life?  

Have hope. Jesus offers to put meaning to our heartaches while not necessarily granting relief from them. He extends to us an invitation to know Him and His peace more deeply as we seek and trust Him during the trials and sorrows of life.
 
Trust Jesus. Usually, that's passed off as some Christian cliché when some well meaning person doesn’t know what else to say. To live out this trusting reality is difficult and painful. Trust that He is good in the midst of the garbage going on in my life and soul? Is He safe? 

To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, ‘He isn’t safe, but he’s good.’ 

If we allow ourselves to trust Him in our pain, He brings His grace. He is lavish with it. We can discover, right in the middle of all the junk, that real joy is possible in our lives.

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