Troubled Hearts

John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

I suspect that this is one of my most favorite passages of scripture. I know that the background for this statement stems from the preceding encounter with His disciples; Jesus had just revealed to them the future events leading to His death and resurrection. Troubling times always need words of comfort. That was true then, and these verses of scripture ring just as loud and clear today.

We live in a world of “troubled hearts.” Read the newspaper or listen to the news, and you will see troubled hearts,. Listen to the words of popular songs, and you will hear troubled hearts. Look around at the problems of our economy and political unrest, and you will see troubled hearts. Look at the unemployment figures, and you will see troubled hearts. Take a look within your own soul, and you might see a troubled heart.

Jesus’ ministry was about healing troubled hearts. His words of compassion and hope brought people from far and near to hear His words and to believe again that with God all things are possible. But trust me, it is difficult to have joy in the midst of so much brokenness in our world and even in our own soul. Trouble eats away at us like a cancer invading every part of our body until it seems like there is nowhere to turn. Despair reaches the pinnacle, and we wonder within our troubled hearts is there an answer?

The reality of this answer is that for some there is no hope, for you see, the answer lies in the opportunity to believe in Jesus. This is not some simple statement that is used to placate the sorrow, but a statement filled with power, which will transform life. The reason some will not “get it” is because they will not choose to let go and let God, to coin a phrase. Letting go is difficult because it cost us the ability to be in charge. But that is exactly what Jesus is inviting us into. The invitation is to live a life that is impossible without His divine intervention.

I think the sorrow for me is that I don’t follow Jesus’ plan for living in His hope in my own life most of the time. I try to do it on my own and end up with little to show in return. You see that really the answer to troubled hearts is to believe in God and believe also in Jesus. This is heart knowledge not just head wisdom; this is an experience encounter with God through the power of His Spirit to guide us and to transform us into what we will become in Him.

The disciples will experience the truth of Jesus’ words in the passages which follow, and we can learn from them the path to belief. The journey to hope is belief.

Blessings, Rip