“I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me.
The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!
— John 16:33 —

This verse was the main focus of a devotional I read this morning.  As I pondered the phrase “. . .so that you will have peace by being united to Me…”, the next phrase (“the world will make you suffer”) took on a new meaning to my heart.  

As I sat here thinking about having peace by being united with Christ, what came to mind is how many years ago Mike and I went to a haunted house around Halloween.  (I am not endorsing that at all.)  Anyway, as we began the journey through that house, I was holding Mike’s hand, tightly.  But something happened — as we progressed through the experience, things would pop-out at me, causing times of more intense fear/fright.  At that point I would lean in, grabbing hold of Mike’s entire arm.  I would hold tightly, leaning in to him, while at the same time pulling him closer to me, as if my very life depended on it.  

There are things we can learn from my trip down memory lane.  

• I went into that haunted house expecting to experience fear.  God let me know in John 16:33 that in this world I would experience suffering.  Expect it. 
• I went into that haunted house holding onto Mike’s hand. God’s desire is for me to walk through life, side by side, “holding my hand”.  
• God told us to expect things that cause us to suffer and be frightened, BUT He also told us that He gave us His Word and His promises so that regardless of what I encounter, I “will have peace by being united to Him”.  

Think with me for a minute.  What if God allows things to come into our lives because He desires them to drive us closer to Him, hanging on to Him as though our life depended on it?  What if He allows suffering to come into our lives so that we can experience the “peace in being united to Him”?  

This leaves me with the question, “How am I going to choose to respond to the scary things He allows into my life?”  

• Am I going to lean in to my God and experience the peace in being united with Him? Or…
• Am I going to distance myself from God, having the attitude, “You could have stopped it, God!”  

As a believer, I am in a relationship with God.  God loves me.  But God never forces me to lean in to Him — to engage in an increasingly intimate relationship with Him. God always gives me a choice.  

Here’s what we know — 

• Expect hard times
• There is peace in being united with Him

Here’s our choices —

• Lean in and experience peace
• Lean away and try to navigate the hard time alone

The hard time isn’t going anywhere.  God never intends for the pain of hard times to be wasted.  He has a purpose for everything He allows into our lives — His glory, my good.  I have to CHOOSE to walk through each day, hand in hand with God.  I have to CHOOSE to lean in to God — to pull Him close and hang on to Him tightly, when hard times hit.   

Realizing I have a CHOICE sure brings a different perspective to trials and tribulations, doesn’t it?  I don’t have to feel alone and afraid during a trial.