In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." I'm always amazed at how many Christians are shocked when trouble surfaces in their lives. Although Jesus warned us that it would happen, they have this idea that salvation through Christ brings a candy-coated life.

Jesus plainly said that while we were in the world we would have tribulation or trouble. But He commanded us to be of good cheer, because He's overcome this world.

So when trouble comes, don't be shocked! Be of good cheer, be reminded that Jesus has overcome this world and every circumstance in it!

More Than Conquerors
The devil is just stupid enough to make the Word of God come to pass. The boy doesn't have a lick of sense! You would think that he would leave us all alone just to try to prove the Word wrong. But, of course, he's too stupid to come up with any bright ideas.

When the devil sends trouble your way, don't buckle under his attack by singing, "Gloom, despair, and agony on me!" No way! Refuse to agree with that idiot! Don't major on the tribulation, major on the fact that Jesus has overcome the world. He's won! And we've been made more than conquerors through His victory!

Do you know that even in times of tribulation, joy doesn't have to leave you? Jesus said it is possible to be in peace and of good cheer, even in the midst of tribulation, because He has overcome the world.

Trust Me: Joy Is Better Than Misery
Really, it's totally up to you. You have a choice to either trust God or worry. You choose joy or you choose anxiety. Either way, you are going to be confronted with trouble in this life. Jesus said it would happen, so there is no changing that.

But what you can change is whether you'll go through it in misery or overcome it in joy. I'll tell you from experience that I've tried both ways, and joy is definitely the way to go!

I heard someone say once the key to being successful doesn't depend on what you've been dealt in life, but how you "deal" with what is dealt. In other words, your reaction to the trouble is what is going to determine your success in this life.

Just because you've got some trouble doesn't mean you have to lose joy. You can make a choice to be full of cheer, because you know that Jesus has already overcome. It's your part to enforce Satan's defeat by rebuking him and standing on the Word.

Get Agressive With Your Faith
When trouble comes in my life, I say to the devil,

You idiot! You've just proved the Word of God is true! And if this part is true, then it all is! So devil, get ready because I'm going to blast your plans for my defeat. Jesus made me victorious through His blood, and it's in His name that I command you to take your hands off my life! Devil, I enjoy telling you that you are defeated and I have overcome! I laugh at your trouble and enjoy not giving you the pleasure of seeing me buckle under it! You fool, get under my feet!

You see, I'd rather laugh at the trouble than align myself with it. If I give in to the trouble and begin rehearsing the problem, the joy of the Lord in my life is suddenly replaced with worry and anxiety.

I've learned that in order to keep that joy, I must major on the promise and not the problem. Jesus has already overcome, and He's given all authority and power to me! Realizing and believing that is the key to not losing any of that precious joy.

Source: The Ministry of Cheerfulness by Jesse Duplantis.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers