Do you have a healthy expectation of trials and tribulations in life or do they seem to catch you off-guard? Why do you think that is?

Reflect

“It was never supposed to be this hard!” Have you ever uttered those words? I know I have. And when I haven’t said them out loud, I’ve cried them in my heart. We all have different problems, but we all have problems. Relationships can be messy, so can the house, parenting is challenging, jobs are demanding, money can be tight and even if it isn’t, money doesn’t solve everything. On top of all the stressors of modern-day living, some people are experiencing issues of life and death. They are battling serious illness, terminal diseases, or disabilities. Still others are facing persecution for their faith in Christ that ranges from losing their jobs to losing their lives. 

Was it really supposed to be this difficult? Well, no. At least not in the beginning. In Genesis 1 and 2, we read that God created the heavens and earth. There was beauty and peace and harmony and rest and fellowship with God. Everything was lush and alive and there was no death. It was perfection. 

Rebellion

But then, in Genesis 3, sin entered the world through the serpent’s deception and Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Immediately following that, we see that the consequences of sin make life a whole lot more complicated for everyone. For the woman, pain during childbirth increased and conflict entered her marriage. For the man, providing food for the family became backbreaking work as the ground became cursed. Worst of all, human beings became mortal as death entered the world. So, even though it was never supposed to be this hard, it is this hard. 

Reveal

In today’s verse, Jesus told us to expect tribulation. The NIV translation of the Bible says to expect “trouble”. Trouble, temptations, trials, tribulations, trauma—”the terrible T’s.” Whatever you call them, the world is full of them. In this life, we will be tried, tested, and tempted. We will get into trouble and we will have people trouble us. We will go through really hard things. We will have to persevere and endure great suffering. We will experience pain and loss and death. We can count on it. 

Jesus said that He told His disciples all of this so that in Him, they could have peace. But His warning doesn’t sound very peaceful. If your friend told you, “Hey, I know your future. It includes the “terrible T’s”! Would that fill your heart with peace? Probably not. But Jesus isn’t any old friend. He’s the Son of God. He’s divine. He’s All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Present. He’s the Savior of the world. He’s the Snake-crusher of Genesis 3:15. He’s the Overcomer! He’s the Restorer! 

Respond

In Christ, we can have peace from His warning to expect tribulation because it gives us healthy expectations. I don’t know about you but knowing what to expect is far better than the fear of the unknown. For example, I knew to expect pain in childbirth so when I actually experienced it, even though it was brutal, I knew it was normal. As strange and scary and painful as it felt, I knew that I was merely experiencing what every other mom before me had ever experienced. But I also knew that my pain had a purpose and that gave me a reason to hope. If I endured to the end, I’d be rewarded with my baby. Likewise, knowing that we should expect tribulation in this world gives us perspective. In our troubles, we are merely experiencing what every other Christian before us has experienced. But in Christ, we also have a reason to hope, we can take heart because He has overcome the world and if we preserve, we’ll have our reward because of Him—eternal life. No, it was never supposed to be this hard but it is this hard. In this world, we should have a healthy expectation that we will suffer “the terrible T’s”. But we have hope! This world isn’t the end of the story. In Christ, we overcome because He has overcome. He will restore God’s creation and it will be perfection once again. We can count on it!

Used with permission from Nat Crawford, Back to the Bible. Originally published in GOtandem, May 6, 2024, by author Shannon. https://backtothebible.app/library/back-to-the-bible/your-daily-forward-devotional/expect-the-terrible-ts/h0KJM0gfzGM