so we are always of good courage. we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [2 corinthians 5:6]
“so” – because we are not losing heart, as our inner self is being renewed, our afflictions are light and momentary, we will gain an eternal glory, with weight beyond measure, we have our sight on the things unseen, we have a heavenly home prepared for us, and we’ve been given the Spirit as a guarantee for all of these things. “so we are always of good courage.”
“always” – literally is “every when” means always, at all times, ever (more), on all occasions. the guarantee through the Holy Spirit is enough to cause us to have confidence in all seasons. though i know, “always” can seem impossible while we live on this earth. i’m sorry to say that too often my attitude and my actions say that only sometimes I can have good courage, but the truth of the Holy Spirit is that we can always have good courage.
“good courage” – means to display or have courage, an attitude of confidence or firmness of purpose in face of danger or testing. be courageous, have courage, be bold, be of good cheer. “To have certainty in a matter.” the Holy Spirit is our Lord, our savior dwelling within us. he is the powerful king that we worship, the gentle father we love, the fierce warrior we need. the resurrected Jesus died so that we may have the very Spirit of God.
“we know that so long as we are at home in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord” – as Spurgeon says for most of us the body is a house for which we have no little affection and we are loathe to quit it. (too true I fear!) we complain of the infirmities of our bodies, but we are in no hurry to leave them. but yet this body is not a fitting home for us.
“believers are either in the body and not in the personal presence of the Lord (of course, always under His watchful eye; always in His mighty hand, and always with the indwelling Spirit of Christ), or absent from the body and present with the Lord—not yet with the resurrection body, but as far as the conscious part of man, he is “present with the Lord” in conscious bliss waiting the grand resurrection day when we receive our incorruptible bodies (1 Cor 15:51-52)!”
to always be of good courage, you cannot live for this physical body. today, i pray you see your body as what it is, your temporary home, as a tent is for a soldier on the battlefield, never meant to be permanent, but a tool to survive. draw near to God and you will draw away from the temporary trappings of this world. run to Him today, ask him for good courage, confidence, a peace that this life is but a mist (james 4:14). the courage of the Lord is available to you through the Holy Spirit, all you need to do is draw near to him.
~ holly russell