Jesus told his disciples in John 16: 33 “I have told you these things (about his upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection) so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We are also Jesus’ disciples, so his words are true for us as well. He tells us that “in this world we will have trouble.” In other words, we can expect that challenges will be a part of life. He also tells us that in him we can have peace. When do we need peace more than when we are in the midst of our struggles? Through Him we can have it. We can be encouraged in our struggles because Christ has overcome the hard things we experience in this world.

While suffering is a universal feature of being human, it is also very personal, and it can tend to make us feel isolated. Just because our struggles are personal does not mean we have to go it alone. As the hands and feet of Jesus, we draw near to one another because Jesus came near to us. It is in caring for one another that we receive The Lord’s care for us.