Dear friends,

Recently, when everything seems to be smooth sailing, troubles came — the signage of the church which I have my weekend ministry fell down and hit a couple of people,   two church members who were undergoing dialysis (one a very good friend) died, and a church leader suffered a mild stroke. Consequently, I asked a lot of “whys” to God. Asking God a lot of questions is part of my reflection habit.

My reflection time led me to John 16:33. It says, “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.”

Jesus did not promise a life without trouble. In the contrary, He reminded us that in this world we will have troubles. What he promised instead was peace in spite of the troubles that will surely come our way. Jesus assured us by saying, “Take heart!” Meaning, we need to be courageous because He has already conquered the world.

How should we take HEART?

H – Hear the assuring words of Jesus every time a crisis come. Read the Bible and be assured.

E – Encourage and accompany fellow believers so that so that you can encourage each other when problem arises. Brothers and sisters in the church are indispensable in times of crises.

A – Allow the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you. Jesus promised us a comforter who will hug us and hold our hands in times of difficulties. The Holy Spirit will also guide us towards decisions that are God’s will.

R – Retreat but do not surrender. Jesus retreated many times and spent time alone to pray and meditate. A spiritual retreat can energize us and make us ready to face the troubles of this world.

T – Trust in God always. Jesus assured us that He had conquered the world already. This means that when foggy and cloudy days come, let us be confident that God will let the sun shine in our lives.

May God bless us all!

Sincerely,

Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
Acting Director
Office of Communications
Central Philippine University