“Bad things will not always happen to other people.”

Sometimes they will happen to you.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 NKJV

Some time ago, I skimmed through a highly forgettable comic about a girl struck with a curse that doomed her to die in a few years. Or something like that. It’s so forgettable that I can’t remember the titles or the details or what country it came from. It was very boring and drawn out, so I skipped to the last chapter after reading a few chapters, .

However, what I read there made an impression on me that has lasted till today. The heroine, who somehow survived her curse, was reflecting on the whole ordeal. She said something like, “At first, when it was all going on, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Why me?’ But then I thought again and I realized, ‘Why not me?’ Bad things won’t always happen to other people.”

It’s been several years since I read that bit of secular wisdom, but it has stayed with me because it is 100% true no matter how much we want to avoid it. Bad things won’t always happen to other people. Other people won’t always lose their jobs, or be diagnosed with serious diseases, or have accidents, or be attacked by robbers. Other people won’t always wake up and read text messages they never wanted to see. Sometimes these things will happen to you, and to me. And that is a normal part of this sinful, fallen world.

It’s fashionable in modern times to pretend that Christianity is a one-way pass to health, wealth, prosperity and a trouble-free path through life into eternity. When we hear of crime, sickness, war, accidents, we want to pretend it could never happen to us.

But the Bible never says anything about a trouble-free life, for believers or for unbelievers. While we can have joy, peace and comfort in the midst of the storm, we still be very much in the midst of that storm. Our ultimate rest will not come until we are finally home with the Lord.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Romans 8:22-23 NKJV

In fact, almost all the great figures of the Bible experienced pain, loss, loneliness, betrayal and persecution. Right from the first human family of Adam and Eve, who lost a son to murder and another to banishment. Noah lost everyone except his immediate family in the flood. Abraham lost his father Terah, his brother Haran and later his wife Sarah. Isaac lost his mother, later lost his wife, was separated from his younger son for 20 years, had to deal with a rebellious older son and contentious daughters-in-law…

Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua…. It’s faster to count the figures who coasted through life with no problems… faster because the number is zero. Even if you live to be 999, you will still have to deal with the loss of your parents and an entire older generation.

Long story short, Jesus told us the truth, “in the world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33) Pressures within, pressures without. Pressures that come from being a Christian, pressures that come from just being born of man. But His statement doesn’t end there. He promises us, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Therefore we have hope.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8: 37-39

For some of us, 2020 has gotten off to a very bad start indeed. This is not what we had in mind when we heard of “Vision 2020.” But we take comfort in the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and that He is with us in all our trials and temptations.

Let us first ensure that we ourselves are in Christ, having repented and believed in his salvation for our sins. Don’t trust in anything or anyone else except Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation. Then let us also redouble our efforts to reach our loved ones with the message of the gospel so that even in the darkest moments, we know that we will meet again where there will be no more tears.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!