Read Part 1 of What it Means to Take Heart, but only if you promise to come back. Here, I’ll sit and wait for you.
I’m on a bench at the park. The shadow around me is a tree, and I have a notebook. There’s a bush just here where bees kiss sweet white buds all over. It smells like sugar and autumn, sounds like buzz of bee, bird, and weed-eater. Women have actually gathered below me here to hula hoop together. I’m laughing. Some days afford us the sun, a breeze, just enough quiet then a phone call, invitations to enjoy and be enjoyed. Yet as I get older, I know more and more of the crumpled-heart, those who never get a fill, who labor with no fruit, the ones betrayed and bowled over.
I awoke a few weeks ago as from a dream, and almost with my eyes I could see how deep I had fallen into the hopelessness that comes with the trouble of this world. Before that day, I hadn’t been able to see around in the dark, all the teeth threatening. This was the pit, maybe, except it was in my kitchen and my minivan.
In John 16, right after the passage of the coming Holy Spirit and then how our sorrow will turn into JOY, Jesus says to his disciples in verse 33: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
In part 1 of these thoughts, I asked what it means to “take heart,” because the truth is that I missed the mark this summer, and I never want to go through that kind of sorrow and confusion again. So if Jesus Christ Himself told us that in this world we would have trouble, then we better believe it’s coming, but He says to take heart because He has overcome the world. Take heart, as if there’s a choice here to suffer in a way that overcomes. Take heart, because if we don’t take it, we lose it. We are either overcomers with Christ, or we are overcome with despair.
Now this is exactly the point where I would like to bold bullet point some step-by step instructions, but I have none. There has only been one hard, beautiful truth that has wrapped around and roped me up from the dark, and when I type it, to the untrained ear, it will sound like the worst of news, but to me, it is salvation.
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.
Christ lives in me. Try to wrap your brain around that one, huh? But friends, when I first believed, my life had been such a mess that it was easier then for me to see myself as dead, like my ghost had left me and Jesus had entered my skin to move me about. I knew I had been rewritten. So when He moved me into unknown territory, I was warrior courageous because I knew it was He who moved me and who overcame.
“Take heart” has also been translated as “be of good cheer,” which sounds to me like “just be happy,” so I had to get out my 50 pound concordance, and wouldn’t you know it that the word in Greek means something so much stronger than that? “Take heart” means to have courage. The root of the word means to exercise bold and confident courage! Of course the world around us is an unfair mess of circumstances. It’s the sick world. But inside me lives Jesus, and He is before all this, He is indeed after, and I am in Him, Ancient of Days.
Sometimes the question is simply about whether or not I believe that I am in Him and He in me. This summer I wasn’t sure of the answer to that question because I had denied the power of God living in me, shrinking under the fear of something terrifying that He’s asked me to do. I wish I had believed that He would do it all along. I wish I weren’t so weak, but in that very weakness, He reminded me of my death, that day I first believed, the first day of my life.
It’s a funny thing how suffering has led me so many times straight into His arms, into an honest way of peace. The pit of my bed was the weak place from which I could renounce the lies and shout that HE LIVES IN ME. Imagine my dry bones standing up.
So this is me coming to you as a minister of the gospel, confessing that I have struggled with doubt and disobedience and a terribly broken heart, and I am begging your ears.
Take heart, sisters. I believe it’s true that He lives in you. All these little deaths we die are straight avenues into His arms. Don’t miss it. Take heart. It’s a stone-real fact that the character of Jesus Christ indwells you. Every kind of courage and peace and triumph is in Him, and He has overcome the world.
Do you believe it?
How would you live differently if Jesus Christ really did indwell you?
Bev Duncan @ Walking Well With God says
Amber,
My heart resonates with the line, “All these little deaths we die are avenues straight into His arms.” I DO believe that Jesus has overcome the world. Some days I hate the fact that I have an anxiety disorder, but the beauty of it is that it drives me straight into the arms of my loving Savior and I HAVE to depend on Him to overcome the doubt, fear and anxiety that I feel. It has enabled me to experience Christ on a whole different level than I would have if everything were just right in my world. Because of it, I live life much differently. It’s given me courage to write and share my struggles and my victories with others. Such a beautifully written post and your one “bullet point” is truly all we need!
Blessings,
Bev
Amber Haines says
Thank you so much, Bev.
Karen says
TRUTH!
Often “we”….and that includes me…. confuse good times with God’s presence and bad times with His absence. Thank you for your honest confession. It give courage to the rest of us.
1 Thes 5:24….. and He who calls you is faithful!
Amber Haines says
Karen, that verse! You are not the only one who has repeated that to me. 🙂
Kathy @ In Quiet Places says
http://www.kathycheek.com/2013/08/indwelled.html
This is a poem I posted recently, just happens to be called “Indwelled”
Many mornings when I first wake up and start talking to the Lord, I remind myself His Spirit is inside of me and ask Him to fully work in my life…He usually answers this request with bringing to my mind the verse in Nehemiah “for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 8:10
Amber Haines says
Yes! So good.
Marty says
Wise words…thank you for sharing your heart.
Amber Haines says
Thank you, Marty!
Karla Neese says
Oh dear. It’s difficult to read your writing – this post particularly because I spent the entire post trying to read through tears. You have described my past couple of months too clearly.
This morning I have struggled, again, with anxiety and was tempted, again, to fall into the pit. And then I opened this email and read it. No it’s not a magic cure but it’s given me hope again. To move my feet, believe again and keep walking.
Thank you for ministering through your transparency.
Amber Haines says
Karla, it’s this kind of thing – where you encourage me – that really helps me so much.
Mindy says
Such good words. I want to be an overcomer, remembering that Christ dwells in me, not overwhelmed.
Amber Haines says
Me, too, Mindy.
Shelly Miller says
I listen to a song on my daily walks, well, almost daily, sung by an angelic voice from England that says, “These dry bones will live again . . .we’re nothing without you, nothing without you.” And it makes me cry almost every single day because I know its true and the truth of that is just overwhelming glorious isn’t it? I heard the angels in the audience standing and clapping as you gave honor to him with your courage words here Amber. He lives big in you and it gives us courage to do the same. Thank you for the surrender and saying yes to being brave.
Amber Haines says
Goodness, girl, you never stop encouraging.
Amy says
Amber, this was beautiful – through and through. And a salve to my soul this morning. Thank you for helping so many of us to take heart.
Shelly Hendricks says
Your words resonate so clearly in my heart! While it is so true that we always want to be strong (or at least to seem strong), it helps me so much to repeat constantly to myself, “His strength is made perfect in my weakness.” It’s the world that requires our strength. In God’s plan, as evidenced by how many people you have helped with this one article, our weakness has great purpose. Thank you for allowing Him to direct and use you to touch my life today 🙂 God Bless You!
Nadine says
“How would you live differently if Jesus Christ really did indwell you?” The problem seems to come from when I don’t act like it & I think I must be my old self again. Thank you for reminding me that despite my feelings (which are not facts!) Christ does indwell me. I do believe that, that he is good – always, has a plan/purpose for me, is a forgiving God of second chances who loved me before I knew Him & continues to seek me. Whew!
Cheryl C G says
This really encourages me as I struggle with the grief of the home-going of my beautiful 31 year old special needs daughter. I took care of her every need for all those years and now I am lost without her. BUT I know I am not lost and I know where she is. In Jesus’ arms. Whole, talking, singling, walking, running. All the things she couldn’t do here on this earth. It is a struggle every day, but your words gave me hope this morning to keep on moving toward what ever God has for me next, and one day seeing Jesus and my beautiful Amy again.
Amber Haines says
Cheryl, it is face to floor humbling to have you read my words. I honor you in my heart.
Do you know the song Wayfaring Stranger?
Beth Williams says
Cheryl,
Prayers for you my dear sister. It is truly hard to imagine yourself doing anything but taking care of your beautiful daughter.
My family was in a similar place a few years ago. Mom had dementia, sundowners and was completely bed ridden for 2 years. Dad was sole caretaker 24/7. I always got the call to come help out. When she died He didn’t know what to do. He still struggles some each day, but is getting along better now.
God Bless you my dear! 🙂
Vanessa says
Amber, this speaks volumes to my broken and beaten self this week. I’m feeling lost in the fog of uncertainty with my God who seems so silent and still amidst our screaming prayers for guidance. The enemy is beating me down, encouraging me to give in to the “too hards” and the “give ups”, and I’ve spent hours just sitting staring ahead, crying, wondering the “why bothers”. Take heart – have courage! Yes! This morning God pointed me to Ephesians 6:10-20. We know the armor of God, but it was the focus on how the shield of Faith gives us — you, me — us! — the ability to extinguish the flaming darts the devil shoots at us. Amazing, yes?!? It wasn’t until I read that simple word “You” that I had the courage and took heart to stand up and tell the enemy to leave me alone! 🙂 Love this peace. Life is hard. It downright sucks at times, and I’m still waiting on a lot of answers about our path, but I abide in Christ, and He abides in me. 🙂 Hope you have a blessed weekend!
Amber Haines says
Vanessa, I am with you! I don’t know why I go through entire seasons where I forget that I have the authority to tell the enemy to leave me alone. I actually play along sometimes.
There’s a verse that tells us to remind each other daily that He’s coming soon. He’s coming, in so many ways; He’s coming.
Havah says
Thank you. Just thank you.
It’s been a long six month stretch, and I desperately needed this today.
Thank you for your kindness, tenderness and willing to be vulnerable so that we (I) are encouraged.
Valorie MacDonald says
Fear would not… In Jesus’ Name WILL NOT be able to hold me in its clutches, squeezing the oxygen out of me and rendering me helpless to go forward along the path I know God is laying out before me. How foolish; nay, how pointless it is to go on fighting against this fact that He, the Greater One, does indeed dwell within my mortal body AND that He has said I will do Greater Things than He!!!
How futile a struggle to try to convince Him that I cannot do what He says that HE will help me, enable me, has anointed me and freed me to do!
And yet I have been successful til now, “winning” in my plan to disobey through delay, distract, and detract from that which He has placed within me. SO many excuses… OH SO MANY.
Thank you for sharing with such candor, Amber. You are truly a blessing to us! My prayers for you continue… Kingdom Come! <3
p.s. 50 pound concordance… my mom taught me to study the Bible with one of those, and that's no joke;]
Susan Dominikovich says
Yes! Fellow overcomer in Christ! Thank you for this. Jesus heals the broken-hearted and even if it takes a bit more time than we would have liked, He heals. He gives us courage again.
Debbie Kelley says
Amber,
I love getting your emails of encouraging words everyday. God has opened an extraordinary avenue for you to share HIM with hurting women or just to encourage women in general. Having anxiety disorder myself being triggered often from my past, God has opened my eyes to know Him in a way I never thought was possible. He has taught me that pain and struggles come daily. But as he covers me with himself, I can feel his presence and get through anything by standing strong WITH Him. He will cover me with a power so strong that I can feel it holding me up. He is the anchor that keeps me from stumbling through life and feeling that feeling of “being overcome with despair.” I choose to be an OVERCOMER WITH CHRIST with Him as my strength daily. And that IS a choice!!!! I FEEL his presence and spirt living inside me whereas all I could do before was search for His face to envision as I prayed. That beautiful gift of that realization was so precious to me. He also gave me the vision of pulling me out of the ” quick sand” of my life and by holding his hand he will guide me. For whether I turn to the right or to the left I will hear his voice saying THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT! Is.30:21 And FEELING his presence is an added gift of that!! Thank you for sharing!! I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on!! God is using you in a mighty way. Many blessings to you!!!!!!
Laura says
Thank you for sharing the honesty in this post. It has come to me in a much-needed season. Our son is grown to adulthood now and I understand fully what you described. I watched as situations like you experienced seemed to take all joy and hope. But yes, God IS faithful. I understand the dark waves of depression and I have learned in them that He is the light at the end of the tunnel. Even when you can’t see the end, He is the Light that is there. One day at a time, moving forward until the Light breaks through. I am lifting a prayer for you as you tend those little ones God has given you. Keep telling them the Truth – it is so hard, but He is with us. Bless you as you point others, including your own dear children, to Jesus. <3
Kelly @ Love Well says
I just breathe deep here and sigh. Yes, yes, yes. Jesus be near and make it so. We believe, help our unbelief.
Beth Williams says
How would I live differently? I would be more Christ-like in my daily walk and interactions with people. Complaining would be almost non-existent.
I would choose to be happy about my circumstances–seeing the bright side & not the dark side. I would emulate Christ more and more & shower the world with love!