When Jesus came down, He was not surprised at the consequences of being incarnate, including suffering and death. Our lives are to express His incarnation in this world. The sufferings of life should not surprise us, but they do. Suffering is baked into the human experience. Also, to live the way He taught us to live may bring on us the rejection that He experienced. Being a Christian will not solve all of your problems; it will likely give you a whole new set of problems. That is not a reason to refuse to follow Jesus; it is a reason to follow Him all the more closely. If we would do that, we might just turn out to be real disciples after all.
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
