Why Choosing Cheer?
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:33
From the time I could walk, I think I had a pair of pom poms in my hand. I was born smack into a family of cheerleaders and very early on, a love for the sport was cultivated in me. From the time I was a little girl my mother instilled in me that cheerleading isn't just an activity we participated in, but cheerfulness was a lifestyle. It was an outlook that we had on life. Especially as believers in Jesus, we could always find a reason to be cheerful. My mother trained me to “look on the bright side,” and to always find the positive in whatever situation we encountered. As a little girl with a bow in my hair, I had no idea what an impact this mindset would have on my life.
I had the privilege of participating in this sport I loved all the way through my college years. In middle school, I found the version of John 16:33 that included “be of good cheer,” and I was captivated! This scripture captured this mindset that my mother had instilled in me as a Biblical concept, more convincingly, a command from Jesus himself. In high school and college, I often used this verse in devotions to encourage myself and my teammates. It reminded me that cheerfulness had nothing to do with a uniform, but everything to do with a state of the heart. Years after my pom poms have been retired and doing a backflip is out of the question, this truth remains with me.
Cheerfulness used to be as easy as breathing. As we age, we unfortunately have more and more experiences with heartbreak and loss, hurt and confusion. Now, it seems that remaining joyful is more of a challenge. How do we remain cheerful in the midst of difficult things? This is what this blog is about. We are going to unpack and wrestle with how to truly experience this cheer, this joy, that Jesus says we have access to as his followers. I don’t know about you, but I want more cheer in my life. I want to experience the fullness of life that Jesus died for us to experience. Will you join me on this journey?
