Troubles. We all have them, big and small. You may be going through some right now. And they have a way of... well... troubling us.
As Jesus' disciples gathered in the upper room, they were feeling troubled by big-time troubles. They were wondering what was going to happen to Jesus – and to them – as angry people plotted. It was well known that things seemed to be coming to a head between Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem. So as Jesus addressed them just before his crucifixion, he lovingly said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1).
To some people, that might sound trite. Saying, "Just believe" might sound like shallow advice to someone stressed out by huge challenges. But not to Jesus, because he knew that the focus of such belief is a God who is infinitely bigger than any challenge we could ever face, and therefore even took his own advice. Jesus felt stress, and he knows how you feel when you feel stress. In John 12:27-28a, Jesus said, “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”
Jesus knew exactly what the disciples were feeling as he stared down the barrel of life-threatening circumstances. That tells us that it's not a sin to feel troubled. As a perfect man, Jesus felt troubled. It astounds me that even with all his understanding as the Son of God, and with the incredible intimacy he had with his heavenly Father, Jesus was still capable of feeling troubled. So it's not wrong to feel that way. Don't let guilt be added to your troubles! It's what we do with stress that leads to sin. Do we respond with belief in God or with unbelief?
Jesus followed his own counsel of believing in God when his heart was troubled. We're told that his thoughts immediately turned to his Father, and to God's purposes, and to God's glory. "But for this purpose... Father, glorify Your name.” By seeking God's perspective in that way, I'm certain Jesus felt less troubled.
When circumstances in my own life cause my heart to feel troubled, I can be tempted to pray, "Father, save me from these troubles! Take them away!" Or even "Take me away! Save me from this hour!" Jesus prayed something like that in the Garden of Gethsemane as he said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Once again, we see how quickly Jesus shifted his focus from earthly thoughts to heavenly thoughts. He turned his thoughts to God's will and purposes.
Jesus recognized God's obvious and awesome purposes in the exceptional circumstances that he was facing by turning his thoughts upward and by believing God. And I suspect that God has purposes for any challenges that any of us face. The Bible alludes to this when James wrote, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).
So rather than asking God for a divine rescue when our hearts are troubled, perhaps it'd be better if we turned to heaven and asked God for his perspective. That's how we can seek God's glory rather than our own relief – because we truly glorify God when we trust him amidst the challenges we face.
So whatever you're going through, take a cue from Jesus – when your heart is troubled, look to God; believe in God; and in his Son, Jesus. Believe that God has a purpose for the challenges you're facing – and that he's allowing. Seek his glory as you give him glory by trusting him to fulfill his purposes in every trial you face.
