Thought for the Day 11/06/21 - Dread

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You might be amazed by how many people in the world find themselves waking up each morning with a sense of dread.

It might be something specific or it may simply be everything at once ... but it's the opposite of looking forward to what lies ahead, nonetheless.

Now it may be caused by physical or mental ill-health. There's a lot of both about. 

But it also comes to people who are fit and well, and it casts a long dark shadow on the start of the day.

Now, I'm one of those that was young, confident and a bit gung-ho ... but knowing about dealing with dread would have bee a great preparation for life.

Jesus acted to tackle it for the people in the room with Him one crucial night ...

“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. 

You believe in God; 

believe also in me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:1‬

It'd be natural to think 'it's not quite as simple as that!' 

Jesus isn't saying it's simple, but He's helping us out here, so let's just take a minute and see what He's on about.

Disciples waking up to a sense of dread

The next morning His men will all wake up with a sense of dread.

Jesus isn't judging or condemning anyone here but holding out His hand.

Now the dread this group of men are going to wake up to will have a specific cause of its own.

It won't be one caused by physical or mental illness.

    These men are a motley sort of crew, but they're 'in good nick'.

It won't be one caused by any worries in their home or work.

    Their minds will be focused somewhere else entirely.

It will be dread caused by the fact that Jesus has been seized. Their friend, their Lord Messiah will be crucified to death. And they'll watch - with the women - looking on.

This is dread linked to real life trauma that is both real and realistic, and Jesus sets about preparing His men with the wise words we just read there in our verse.

First, now your enemy: Distress

The same word here describing their troubled state of mind gets used of Jesus' own state of mind in John 11:33 (the Lazarus episode when He's disturbed by the death of His friend), John 12:27 (reflecting on His coming crucifixion) and in John 13:21 ... which all go to show that it's nothing to be ashamed of but a part of life in a fallen world that we need to manage the best we can.

And in acknowledging it's an on-going battle in a fallen world, Jesus addresses immediately the role of faith.

Jesus takes the job head on and seems to challenge vulnerability to fight its dread with faith, but it's actually a bit more nuanced than that.

Not allowing your heart to be troubled

Jesus seems to assume He's speaking to people who CAN address their troubles.

It's not always we feel that we can ... but His appeal is to those who can do so, even if it needs a little help.

We may have all sorts of strategies for achieving this, but His first work is stop yourself from troubling, as and how you might, and then move quickly to displace the temptation to dread with this fresh sort of positive action, and the positive action is ...

Faith

There's a double meaning that crops up in this faith part. 

Let's check it out:

"You believe in God; 

believe also in me.”

The translation of the two uses of 'believe' - πιστεύετε (pisteuete) is difficult. 

The first 'believe' in God and the second 'believe' in Jesus are both left open and can mean:

• 'Believe in God' (i.e. ... get on and do it)

• 'You believe in God' (already), or even ...

• 'Do you believe in God?'

And the first could mean one of those while the second means any of the others.

Now look, He's not trying to confuse you!

When Psalms wants you to think something through, it uses a word (it's 'Selah'.)

When John's gospel wants you to think things through, it gives a double meaning!

All of those options available need thinking through, and applying as regularly as ointment to the sore of our waves of dread.

The Point

The point is that distress and dread are entailed in human life.

They're realties that arise in a fallen world, and when they do we need the life skills to beat them back.

Trusting in God and in His Messiah, we overcome our dread by ... trusting in God and in His Messiah.

You trust in God? Trust in His Messiah!

And it's in thinking over and thinking through the options for what these verses mean that we find the strength that He gives us to do so.

Now fear is the opposite of faith.

Dread is the congealing of fear.

So fear meets it's fate when God's people come back to the faith that is the opposite of and the victory over fear.

The Takeaway

Congealed fear is not something to treat lightly.

It can be a real struggle to face.

But the God in Whom we trust is all-powerful and stands, supportively, close to help the struggler who turns and leans their weight onto Him.

One.

Day.

At a time.

... as the disciples that Jesus was speaking to, really very soon would find out.

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