Some Encouragement in Troubling Times…

John 16:33 contains some often-quoted words of Jesus:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

I’ll be honest. When I read that verse where it says that Jesus has overcome the world, I can so easily think, “how have you overcome the world when it looks so opposite right now?” The darkness in our world is only increasing, and it can feel like the devil’s influence is only expanding.

Well, thank God that His truth is greater than my thoughts and feelings! However, I feel like this verse is both incredibly hard and incredibly good to soak in. Why is it hard? Well, Jesus basically guarantees us that throughout our life, there will be troubles. In this verse, the word for trials and sorrows, or tribulations, means ‘distress, affliction or trouble that is very intense.’

But, after this sobering reminder, Jesus tells us to take heart. Another way that can be translated is to ‘be courageous.’ We don’t have to fall apart under the weight of our afflictions. Why? Because Jesus has overcome the world. Another way this word can be translated is the word ‘victory’, but not in a one-off sense. It is victory in a continual sense, both now and into the future. In other words, “I have overcome the world, I am overcoming the world, and I always will overcome the world in the future.”

So, whether you are facing something in life that feels overwhelming, or you are feeling discouraged by the state of our world, let these words of Jesus encourage you today. We are on the winning side. We can live from a place of victory because Jesus has won the victory!