Victory vs Frustration - You CHOOSE!

John 16:33 - I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

John 17:15 - I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.  

Having run in Christian circles for many years, amongst good "church people," I have often heard someone say something like, "Well, we just live in this world, we're going to have trials and tribulation. We're just going to have to get through these hard, troubled times." Have you heard something similar? It almost sounds like as a Christian, it is a license to live and wallow in despair and have the "oh, whoa is me" attitude.

In the Greek, "the world", in John 16:33 is described as the following:

kosmos - the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ

Jesus here in John 16 is reminding us that he has OVERCOME the world! He is also telling us how we SHOULD be living since we are IN HIM. We are called to live in peace & confidence. If you look at the word kosmos, in the Greek, it's living alienated from God, BUT as a believer, that is not us! We do not live alienated from God. Jesus doesn't leave us in a place of tribulation, trials, distress & frustration. JESUS says, "BE OF GOOD CHEER!" Jesus wants us to not focus on what the world, the kosmos, has to offer, but what HE HAS TO OFFER. I believe Jesus does not want us to focus on the kosmos living, but in the fact that on the cross Jesus defeated, he OVERCAME the kosmos living! Jesus is telling us to BE OF GOOD CHEER.  He conquered the world! He defeated the world! He wants us to walk in confidence, to be courageous, knowing the battle out there amongst the enemy is already OURS! We have already WON because Jesus fought the battle and came out victorious for US!

What does that mean to YOU and I? What does that mean for our every day living? It means don't focus on the tribulation that "the world" may live in, but focus on what Jesus TELLS US to focus on, focus on whatever you are about to pursue, focus on the VICTORY! If you are in a trying time at work, take your eyes off the tribulation, and put it on the victory! Believe & confess victory! Jesus even conquered this battle for you! Whatever this battle is for you, Jesus already defeated it for you!

Instead of:

trials, tribulation, distress & frustration

CHOOSE:

COURAGE, CONFIDENCE & CERTAINTY!

Put your FOCUS on the VICTORY that is already YOURS! Jesus did it just for you, so CHOOSE to put your focus on what Jesus told you to focus on, being of GOOD CHEER in the VICTORY!