In the scriptures, our Savior, Jesus Christ has told us,
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
Sometimes, it is difficult to see beyond our daily trials. Things can become so overwhelming and stressful that it can often leave us feeling alone and fearful. These types of feelings can linger, and unfortunately, have the tendency to lead to more severe feelings, such as desperation and hopelessness. Having these types of emotions poses a danger in our lives. It allows an opening and susceptibility for Satan to deceive us further away from the light that Jesus Christ brings us in this life.
It is especially important then, my friends, to try to place somewhere in our thoughts that we should not be consumed by our daily trials. We must be disciplined in our thoughts and not let ourselves get carried away into self pity. We must remember that our daily trials are there to strengthen us and to remind us to remain faithful regardless of what comes our way. To
No matter what we go through in our daily trials, Jesus Christ knows how we feel, and if we let Him, He is there to help see us through them. He has experienced all of the suffering in all of our lifetimes! Can you imagine that? No matter what we are going through, nothing can be compared to what He endured. But He did overcome it all, for us, and He can show us how to overcome our own particular trials. All we need to do to ask for His help is to humble ourselves in prayer. We must do all we can to try to be patient. The answers to our prayers will come, no doubt, though it may not always be clear and immediate. But help will come.
In our trials, Jesus Christ reminds us to be of good cheer, that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, and that we are not alone.
Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you. (D&C 68:6)
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And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you.(D&C 61:36)
If we keep our eyes heavenward, instead of on worldly concerns, the daily trials that we face in this mortal realm will not seem so overwhelming. In fact, if we think of our daily trials as just simply daily exercises in faith, we will begin to notice that we are able to overcome them more easily than we were previously able to. If we choose to use them to our advantage, these daily exercises in faith can help us to improve our outlook on life and help us to become experts at seeing the flip side of the trials we face. We can learn to be grateful for learning to see the silver lining of every cloud, so to speak.
In this New Year, I invite you to try to recite to yourselves, “Be of good cheer,”when you find yourself in the moment of feeling like your daily trials are wearing you down. Know that you are hearing the Savior’s words reminding you to not be discouraged, because hope is always there for you, and that you are loved and not alone. Though we cannot always escape our daily adversities, we can change our perspective and we can turn the tide in our favor. By turning to our Savior, Jesus Christ, He provides for us all the hope we need to overcome whatever trials we face.
