WHY ARE YE FEARFUL ?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 60, 3 June 1942, Page 2

WHY ARE YE FEARFUL ?

TROUBLE IS A COWARD By Laurence Hope. My mail this, week contained some very cheerful letters'. In spite ol everything, there are still folk who can smile. I have had some letters from people with problems and difficulties to face, and have done what ] could to help them. But most of the letters have been cheerful. One reader in Queensland says: "Somehow you seem to make things brighter." I am very glad that is so, because that is what i. am trying to do. It is amazing how, if you take your troubles out and give Ihem an airing, they tend to disappear; how. when you fav*e up to them, or discuss them with a sympathetic friend, they seem so much less difficult to bear. Remember this: Trouble is a coward. It preys on the weak and the fearful; if you are afraid of trouble, it is going to sock yen out and make your life miserable. Go out after it with a bludgeon, face facts —or fears; —calmly and resolutely, with the determination in your heart that you are going to overcome them—and you will. It l is only when you lace up to life's difficulties, instead of running away from them, that you realise how paltry they often are. There is a world of truth in the adage "I CAN—if I think I can." You certainly won't win if you think you can't, as many people do. That is asking for defeat. When I stress the relief you can get by discussing your troubles with c sympathetic friend. I am not suggesting that you should, run round pouring your woes into every listening ear. You will soon find yourself nil alone if you do that. That's merely setting the ball of trouble rolling, and you'll be classcd as a helpless whincr. But "confession is good for the soul," and, providing that you have enough backbone to hit back when trouble strikes, you, and so help yourself, you will find that a frank and friendly talk with someone whom you like and trust will be helpful to yon both. Because troubles shared can be a source, of strength to both parties when sympathy exists between them, your friend will get strength for his own battle by helping you in your fight.

Poor Help Poor You know the old saying: "it's the poor who help the poor." That is just another way of saying that n person who lias experienced a big sorrow is invariably bettor able, and more ready, to help someone similarly afflicted, than a person who has never known what sorrow is. You can never thoroughly appreciate happiness: until you have known unhappiness, because joy and sorrow in this life are very largely a matter of comparison. People who accept the Christian gospel find they can take their troubles to Christ and get comfort and relief, and we believe that Christ came down to earth and suffered the common pains of humanity, even unto death on the Gross, so that He eouid understand and enter into cur sorrows and help us through His divine compassion. He was in all ways tempted, as we arc—a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief—with His stripes Ave am healed. He need not have done it. He could have escaped the Crucifixion: "Thinkest thou that i cannot new pray to My Father and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels?" He knew suffering—human suffering—ami is able and willing to. help those who suffer to-day. "1 will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you."This i>: true—if you believe it. Man's Worst Enemy It is n;:'t nur.'h use taking youi troubles to someone who has nevei known a care. Such a person would never understand and could not help you. So, if you have any troubles—-i had so many that they were a perfec! nuisance, so I dumped them overboard, and have refused to accept any since—if you have any troubles. I say. don't whine, hut look them squarely in the face, and, if you have a friend you can trust", talk them over with him, or her. You'ii feel heller for iL—an:l remember there is one Friend v.'ho will ;•/ k-i you down. "Thou wilt keep him. in perfect peace whose wind is stayed upon Toec, because lie trusteth in Thee." The trouble to-day is that people don't believe that. If tiuy did, and put that belief into edect, they would know it is true. The greatest trouble of all which afflicts human kind is* worry. No

one 1 should over worry. Worry is the eldest child of fear. It' you let that child live, it will breed despair. It should l)e strangled at birth. Your greatest trouble is 'worry, isn't it? Well —y'Hi don't worry about what has happened because it can't be helped. You don't worry about the present—or you shouldn't —because we live for a day, and tomorrow is on the way. (Iwen the Lord's Prayer says: "Give us THIS DAY our daily bread,' and says nothing about to-morrow's daily bread) So you're worrying about the future? Why? How do you know tlu* future is going to be dark and dismal? How do you know the dreadful thing is going to happen? Tn other words, why worry about what hasn't happened—and may never happen? If it does, you can get strength to meet it by asking for it. The rearmament of faith will witiistand the bombardment of fear. I cut worry out of my lookaliead. [ can't be bothered, with it. If I entertain it, it makes me unhappy. I don't like being unhappy. "Tn the rapture of life and living, J lift up my heart if id. rejoice, and I thank the Great Giver for giving the soul of my gladness a voice. In the glow of the glorious weather, in the .sweet-scented, sensuous air, my burdens seem light as a feather —• they are nothing to fear." I have thrown my burdens overboard. What about yours? I have added several new members to my League of Optimists: this week. 1 am now inviting you to shut the dcor on worry, banish fear, go forward in faith and courage, and open your life to happiness. You can —if you think you can.