Be of Good Cheer — Acts 22–28

Come, Follow Me: New Testament 2023 (July 31-August 6)

As a therapist, I’ve never told a suffering client, “Cheer up! Everything will turn out fine.” It just wouldn’t go over well. After all, if they could just cheer up, they wouldn’t need my help.

But these are the very words Paul heard from the resurrected Jesus who came to him in prison, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11). 

Paul passed on this same advice to his fellow shipmates who were about to be lost at sea. He had been assured by an angel that everyone on the ship would be saved and so he boldly said to them, “…be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me…” (Acts 27:25). 

Today we think of cheer as being happy, putting a smile on your face, and maybe faking it until you make it. But in Hebrew the word “cheer” means encourage, strengthen, invigorate, hearten. With this view, “be of good cheer”, can be replaced with, “take courage,” “be strong,” “have hope,” “lean on me.”

Courage coupled with covenants gives us “gospel gladness” (Neal A. Maxwell). “There is no adversity that can set aside God’s plan of salvation. It is an immense blessing to know about the plan, to believe in it, and to have faith in it” (Neal Maxwell). 

As we let God prevail in our lives, we can be of “good cheer” regardless of our circumstances. Our testimony will get us through temporary trials and troubles, because we have an eternal perspective of what the test really is–becoming “true friends of God” (Brigham Young).

“By developing our individual capacities, wisely exercising our agency, and trusting God–including when we feel forsaken and alone–then we can, said President Young, learn to be ‘righteous in the dark.’ The gospel glow we see radiating from some–amid dark difficulties–comes from illuminated individuals who are ‘of good cheer’!” (Neal A. Maxwell).

(To learn more about this topic, read the talk, “Be of Good Cheer” by Elder Neal A. Maxwell.)