The end of trouble …

As long as you’re breathing, there will be trouble in this world.

Jesus said as much …

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows …” John 16:33a.

Don’t you wish Jesus would have said instead, “Now that you’ve become one of My followers, there won’t be any more sorrows or troubles in your life”?

He didn’t say that.

But He did finish the above sentence of scripture like this:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world,” John 16:33.

Our lives are so thick with trouble, sometimes what initially appears to be a little “blessing out of the blue” is really a snare for new trouble. Steve Shepherd tells one of those stories in, “In This You Greatly Rejoice”:

One man said: “Low on gas while on a vacation trip to Las Vegas, I pulled my van into a service station. As I was turning in, I spied lying on the ground a gas cap that looked like it might replace my missing one.

“I hurriedly parked by the pump, jumped out of the van, ran over and picked up the cap. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it screwed easily onto my tank. A perfect fit, I thought. And then I noticed the keyhole in the top of the cap.”

Poor guy.

Isn’t this the way life goes at times? Like another said: “About the time you think you got everything in the bag, then the bag bursts.”

In the ministry I lead, I spend my time helping people of all kinds, as well as pastors, churches, and organizations to change their lives … to discover ways to fix their troubles.

Part of that is sharing with them there’s coming a day when there will be an end to trouble.

No more troubles of any size or any kind.

Imagine that!

No seriously, take a moment and think about that.

No more trouble!

That future looks something like this:

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever,” Revelation 21:3-4.

We are encouraged in scripture to keep our minds focused on that future promised by God. It can bring great peace and comfort, even in the midst of troubles, to know a permanent end to all trouble really is our promised future! I’m convinced, though, one of the greatest mistakes we make is not keeping that as a key focus in our lives. Instead of telling ourselves on a tough day, “In heaven, there will never be a day like this!” we instead ruminate on the sorrow and pain and trouble in front of us.

We need to change our thinking:

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy,” Ephesians 1:21-24.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory,” Colossians 3:1-4.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise,” Philippians 4:8.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!,” Isaiah 26:3.

Yes, as long as we breathe, this world will bring us trouble … but Jesus has overcome the world! AND, there is a day coming that will bring an end to our troubles. When we change our focus from being mired in our troubles, to the promise that trouble will some day end, we can have peace now and endure through our troubles through Christ, until He returns and trouble is no more.

The next time you’re experiencing trouble, say to yourself, “There will never be a day like this in heaven.”

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit,” Romans 15:13.

Scotty