Being of Good Cheer

😀    Sunday I felt off. It wasn't anything I could put my finger on but I wasn't myself. I came home from church and headed straight for a nap; very unlike me. By dinner time, my right ear hurt and then I had difficulty swallowing on that side. Soon I had a full blown headache and everything hurt but the ear and throat were debilitating. It hit fast and hard. Monday I spent nearly the entire day in bed, doctoring myself with some of my grandmother's home remedies. By this morning I felt back to normal. Did I mention that I hate doctor visits?

     Anyway, we often think of the Ten Commandments as the say all and do all, but as a student of scripture I am of the opinion that there are many, many more than ten. One of them is the message of this post.

     Be of good cheer. How often did Jesus say that? I have found it in at least six places in the New Testament. Is it hard to obey? Sometimes it is. What exactly is good cheer anyway? In both Matthew 14:27 and John 16:33 the Savior seems to say, "Be cheerful. Don't worry." 

     Ponder this. The Savior counseled us, His followers to be cheerful and full of optimism. Of course, even Jesus wept and mourned for the loss of His friend so we don't want to plaster on a phony smile in pretense but I believe He commands us to always exhibit a happy and joyful countenance because even during our deepest trials and loss we have His promises to hold on to. 

     For me, being of good cheer is the admonition to place all our faith in God and not allow fear to overcome us. Because He rose from the dead, we have the promise that we can follow suit. It reminds me to be ever cognizant of the eternal understanding and perspective of a true believer. Fear and doubt cannot coexist so even during our deepest valleys we have hope. He is in fact asking us to remember Him, to look beyond current circumstances and to feel gratitude, joy and reassurance because of His Atonement. 

     This attitude will not remove our trials but rather will enable us to meet our challenges head on because the Lord is on our side. "Our future is as bright as our faith." quote by the late Thomas S. Monson.  

     To Be of Good Cheer is an attitude and it is contagious. Serve others, share your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, study scripture, pray sincerely and follow in His footsteps. It won't make the trials go away, but it will bless you with strength, hope and faith in Him. The clouds may loom dark and portentous but we know that the Son still shines above those clouds.