Coming out to Colorado last year was the beginning of the honeymoon period for me. I loaded up the family in a covered wagon (metaphorically speaking) and headed out west. The only thing in front of me was hope, mountains, and the promise of what might be. It was exciting to think about all the amazing things that could happen. What would my practice look like? What would it be like to work with Training Ground and mentor men in the outdoors? What new places would the family and I get to discover? It was intoxicating and the momentum carried me along like a river. Then about 3 months ago the honeymoon was over.
My practice numbers took a hit and things frankly got tough. Instead of the mountains calling out to me, they started to mock me. The fears started to rush in. Can I do this? Was I stupid to come out here? If this doesn't work out what am I going to do? Am I the head of the Donner party rather than Daniel Boone?
The honeymoon always ends. Always. It did in my relationship with Sara. The first 6 months of our marriage we were so enamored with each other I would have told you I loved the way she chewed her food. Then reality set in and we had to start dealing with each other's baggage. Had we stopped there and said, okay this isn't going to work we wouldn't be together today.
In John 16:33 Jesus said "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." There is some hope here for when the honeymoon is over.
First, Jesus is saying that he knows that hardship is inevitable. I don't take nearly enough comfort as I should in the fact that God knows and understands what we deal with in our lives. Jesus knew and understood hardship. He was a man without a home, he was misunderstood by family, he had no steady paycheck, and he had men trying to kill him.
Secondly, I take from this that hardship doesn't necessarily mean you have done something wrong, or have taken a wrong turn on the path of life. Jesus was talking to the disciples in this passage. These were men who had followed him and left behind everything. These were men of faith who were doing what God had called them to do. Still, Jesus said they were going to run into problems. That is the reality of living in a broken world.
Finally, Jesus is saying that He trumps trouble. Whatever problems come at us God's determination to love us supersedes them all. This means that hardships are subordinate to God's mission to care for us.
Father, help me my unbelief. Give me the faith to trust that your love for me as a son is bigger than the trouble that is inveitable in this life.
