“In this world you will have trouble.”
Those are the words of Jesus found in the midst of the final paragraph of John 16 spoken to His disciples preceding what’s known as Christ’s high priestly prayer. These days in which we live, I’m certain you sense the many difficulties we face in this present world.
Some believe we are in the last days, which means different things to different people. Some feel this world and all that exists is coming to an abrupt end, while others optimistically believe that a better world lies ahead.
Let’s talk more about the challenges we all presently face in life.
It would be quite easy for me personally to sit down and write volumes on the challenges I’ve faced during a lifetime of experiences, but I have no desire to bore a fairly small audience with what I’ve endured on this journey so far. I’d mainly be writing to an audience of one, and I find such autobiographies to be simply self-gratifying to the writer.
Here’s what I always prefer to hear in life stories — not necessarily what we go through, but how we handle the challenges we face. Life is not easy — life must be faced head on — life must be cherished and appreciated.
We have been placed on this planet for a distinct purpose — every last person has a purpose in God’s eyes. Even the smallest child who might be aborted or lost through natural causes has a distinct purpose.
We all have a role, and God knows from the beginning of time how we will each be used in His master plan. The Apostle Peter sheds some light on this in 2 Peter1:3-4.
Peter exhorts, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
These words from the lips of an uneducated fisherman are filled with God’s wisdom for those of us who truly desire to live a God-pleasing existence.
I’ve been following the ways of the Lord (certainly not perfectly) for nearly 40 years — almost one-half my years on this planet. Let me testify that my journey since accepting Christ as my Savior and Lord have been by far the best years of my life.
The ways of God are paved by the Master Builder and as long as I stay on His path, I’m assured I’m walking right by His side. Sometimes I lag behind a bit and occasionally I get ahead of Him, but He always gets my cadence correct in His perfect timing.
When the Lord tells those who follow Him “in this world you will have trouble.” He’s simply letting us know that the Christian journey is not going to be a bed of roses.
In fact, there may well be suffering and extremely challenging situations that may seem hopeless at times. There’s good news for those of us who trust in the Triune God (God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, who is our Comforter) found in the next sentence spoken by our Lord: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Please consider trusting in Him with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength!
Passages to Ponder
— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at [email protected] for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
