³³ “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

That Christians will suffer in this world is abundantly asserted in the New Testament. Jesus here says it unequivocally, “In the world you have tribulation…” using the present tense which here carries a sense of enduring experience. This was a very trying time for the disciples, the atmosphere foreboding. Jesus had been talking about His departure which caused them extreme consternation and grief. He had previously told them that because of Him, they would be hated and persecuted by the world (John 15:18, 20).

Paul speaks to this as well, when he addresses his disciple Timothy: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). Suffering, persecution and trials of all sorts are a by-product of being a follower of Christ. Jesus was not spared from it. Paul was not spared from it. None of us will be spared.

Living in a fallen world is part of the reason for suffering. Being part of the family of God, being a saved, regenerate believer does not exempt us from the effects of a fallen world. “Bad stuff” happens. Car accidents, trees falling, earthquakes affect believer and non-believer alike. Sickness and dying come to Christian and non-Christian alike. Sometimes, “bad stuff” happens as a result of our sin and even our own stupidity, and we have to live with the consequences. Some of our trials are of our own doing.

There are also trials that are a direct result of other people being evil and acting in unjust ways. Peter took this Upper Room teaching to heart when he wrote to the persecuted Christians, that when they faced difficulties because of their faith, “ … this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. (1 Peter 2:19–20). We Christians are called to acknowledge, yes, even to embrace hardships as part of our God-given calling, an opportunity for growing in faith.

We must never give in to an obsession with the comforts of life, tying them to our faithfulness to God. We must not emotionally flagellate ourselves when bad stuff happens as though we and we only are the cause of all difficulties in our lives. Such is a self-centered view of life. We will have tribulation. The question is, what we will do with that? The first thing: accept it.

Lord, help me to accept the trials in my life and not wallow in, “Why me?”