Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. — John 16:20

On many occasions, I have seen situations where people were happy when I was not. For example, I remember many times playing ball as a child when the competing team’s family and friends were excited because they won. I, on the other hand, was not so excited to have lost that game.

These types of situations happen in life. There are situations where someone is happy because of something that goes their way, while someone else is not. It seems that things go this way many times for Christians. One great example was given here in John, where Jesus tells the disciples that the world would rejoice in His death but that they would be sorrowful.

We even see these situations in our day. We often see ourselves taking a stand for things such as abortion, marriage, or freedom of religion. Yet, when the case or ruling doesn’t go our way, the world rejoices. They celebrate the sin and wickedness of this world.

While those times can be frustrating and heartbreaking, it’s not the final chapter. Jesus told the disciples here that their sorrow would be turned into joy. Jesus knew that the disciples would find encouragement and strength in His death, knowing what it would lead to in the future. He knew things in this world were not the final chapter.

If you focus on the things going on around you, you will be discouraged. You can look all around and see sin and wickedness, and if you are not careful, it will leave you feeling depressed and defeated. But remember, this world is not the final chapter. We can take courage and strength that we have a future in Heaven, where the sin and wickedness of this world will all fade away!

Jared Dyson

Another Well Ministries