Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled

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

As I write this, we are in what may be the strangest times we have ever seen. Nearly the whole world has shut down to try to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19. My University has gone to remote instruction. All large gatherings are cancelled. Restaurants are closing. The stock market is having its worst days in more than thirty years. The natural thing for people to do in such a time is to let panic and fear take hold. We don’t know what will happen in the future. How bad will it get?

Jesus’ disciples were facing their own challenging time as Jesus said these words from John 14 at the Last Supper. In just a few hours, he would be taken from them by soldiers to stand a series of sham trials. In a few more hours, the one in whom they had put all of their trust and hope would be executed on a cross. They would likely be the next targets for execution or imprisonment. The disciples seemingly had reason to be deeply emotionally disturbed, but Jesus gave them a command that I believe he would give to each of us: Let not your hearts be troubled. This phrase shows us some important things we still need to remember in our own turbulent times:

          Fear is natural – Jesus gave this command because he expected the disciples to have troubled hearts. Our hearts, too, naturally wander into fear and trouble in challenging times, but they don’t have to.

      Fear is a choice – Jesus would not give a command we would not be able to keep. Note how even personifies the heart as a separate entity. Jesus is literally commanding our hearts to not be troubled. It can seem hard for us to believe we can control our emotions, but that is the lesson Jesus has for us. We must put something else into our hearts.

      Believing in Jesus is the antidote to fear – Jesus gives us the alternative that can eliminate the fear: “Believe in God; believe also in me.” Tough times can truly test our faith, but believing and trusting in Jesus allows us to experience his presence and access his power that overcomes our fear.

      Better times await – Over the next few verses, Jesus gives us the promise that a he is preparing an eternal place for us. Although we will have difficult seasons in this life that place Jesus prepares for us will be free from all fear. Believing in that hope and promise can give us peace in the most challenging of situations: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)  

I pray you know and experience Jesus’ peace today.