In the Gospel of John, Jesus the Savior counseled:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
What does it mean to overcome the world? How do we mere mortals achieve a state of peace and harmony with ourselves, with others, with God, and with our world? What did Jesus refer to when he said: In me you may have peace? How do we overcome our trials, fears, sorrows and all other upsets while in the mortal state?
Mormons and Jews have great interest in this theme, and though their methods of achieving victory are viewed differently, they are surprisingly similar in practice. We can take counsel from both sides of the coin.
From the Jews we learn of Tikkun olam, a Hebrew phrase that means “repairing the world” (or “healing and restoring the world”), which suggests humanity’s shared responsibility (with the Creator) “to heal, repair and transform the world.” Tikkun can be interpreted as a method for determining legal responsibility, or following the commandments, performing religious or social obligations. The practice of healing and restoring comes from the early rabbinic period following the destruction of Herod’s Temple in a.d.70.
As an explanation of rabbinic laws, the principle of Tikkun Olam is also invoked for laws about the collection of the ketubah (dowry) money for a widow, the limit on payments to redeem captives, divorce threatened by vows, and other practical concerns.
The phrase tikkun olam is included in the Aleinu, a Jewish prayer that is traditionally recited three times daily. The Aleinu, said to have been written by the Biblical Joshua, praises God for allowing the Jewish people to serve God, and expresses hope that the whole world one day will recognize God and abandon idolatry. In other words, when all people of the world abandon false gods and recognize God, the world will have been perfected. So we share a partnership with God involved with improving the state of the world through religious obligations and righteous living, bringing more honor to our sovereign God, which will hasten the coming of the Mashiach (Messiah).
To a Jew, the weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) services helps bring about the Messianic Age because Shabbat rest energizes Jews to work harder to bring the Messianic Age nearer during the six working days of the week. Observance helps people renew commitments, so effectively they can achieve harmony with oneself, nature, with each other and with God.
Unlike human revolutions which replace one corrupt regime with another, the revolution of the Messianic Age will be permanent. Jews who have practiced for the new regime by observing Shabbat will be able to maintain the peace and harmony of the Messianic Age.
To the Christian, all roads lead to and from Jesus Christ and his teachings. Our temporal lives are filled with all manner of things. Much stress results, challenging our faith, testing it. Level-headedness in the face of temporal disasters is nigh impossible to manage, but the knowledge that we are not spiritually alone, that angels watch over us, helps us to cope. We are here to be tested. Faith in Christ’s redeeming powers lead to peace of mind and joy in living.
So what did Jesus mean when he told his disciples that he had overcome the world? James 4:7-10 tells us:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
He gave them direct instruction. Be of one mind (resist evil, no hypocrisy), come to God, be clean, humble, sober. Easy instruction? Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us we are saved through faith. We receive God’s grace, his merciful help, but the righteous are known by their works – for by the cleansing exercise of ministering unto others we are found to be happy and busy at the last day.
The world is corrupted. But we are counseled to do righteous things to be counted worthy in the eyes of the Lord.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8
So how do we overcome the world? Do we have to become perfect? What, finally, is our life to teach us? I submit
it is to be self-refining. To never speak guile, not to curse, smoke or do evil to ours or others’ bodies. Cultivate a patient, kind and honest heart, an ear and a ready helping hand for those in need. Partake of the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. Read of him, pray about him. Live a life of diligence in both temporal and spiritual ways. Develop strength in the Lord and his mighty power (Ephes 6:10). Put on the whole armor of God… (Ephes 6:10-11).
In other words, we must do the work to achieve a constant state of dynamic living. Peace is not a gift, but a result of our work to know ourselves – to control our thoughts and guide them into the proper channels of discipleship. To find fresh hope in hopeless situations. To be of good cheer through all kinds of tribulation and beyond reproach, every day. An impossible task? Try it each day and each day – most days, it will become easier.
To overcome the world – it is only necessary to overcome ourselves.A loving God in His loving kindness, has overcome all. He has promised mankind the same opportunities as He now enjoys. Have faith, hold on, help is only a prayer away.