“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.”
-John 16:33 (NIV)
I was recently reading the book Plan B, and the author, Pete Wilson, discusses how many people get their theology twisted from a verse like this. Because if all you look at is one part, “In this world you will have trouble,” then life just seems miserable and with no purpose. You feel like an ant and God is a boy with a magnifying glass. But if you focus solely on the second half of the statement, “I have overcome the world,” then you can begin to start living in your own bubble, creating a false world where nothing bad could ever happen to you because you follow Jesus.
I think it’s interesting the way Jesus words his statement here. Notice he says that trouble is in the world. Meaning that the world is considerably larger than troubles.
It’s as if he’s saying, “That trouble that you are so stressed about, that seems so huge right now? It’s incomparable to the size of the world. And I’ve defeated the world. So guess what? Your little trouble has no chance.”
So take heart. The point of John 16:33 isn’t that life stinks, nor is it that life in Christ is all sunshine and rainbows. The point is that no matter what happens, ultimately Jesus will win.
And therein lies all the hope we need.
