John 16:32-33 – Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home… 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
I have a feeling this verse resonates a little more these days than it has in the past. Due to our current circumstances we can feel scattered. Things we used to do or want to do are more difficult if they are not just cancelled all together. Many people who have resisted change had to learn flexibility for the first time. How we did our jobs transformed from things we knew into things we had to learn. There is this collective cloud of lingering strain that pushes our daily stress up a notch or two.
Throughout it all we can take heart because we know that this world is in God’s hands. We can find peace in this tribulation because Christ has overcome the world. In the life and teachings of Jesus, it is interesting to note that we are offered peace, but we are promised tribulations. Jesus knows the heart of humanity—selfishness, greed, complaining, focusing on getting our own way, etc.—and offers us a way out.
Being a Christian doesn’t eliminate our problems, sadly, we’re still going to run into them from time to time. However, it does give us a framework through which we can view them. We can be flexible when we don’t get our own way because we can trust God to work through the new way. We can put other people before ourselves or be generous because we trust God to provide for what we really need.
When Jesus said this, He knew what was coming for Him. He was about to be arrested, tortured, and killed, but he knew the end of the story. The tribulations we face are all temporary, they will end one way or the other, but it is while we are in the midst of them that we must cling to our faith and take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.