“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.” John 14:1 NIV
There are too many stresses to count that cause our heart to be troubled. This verse is quoted mainly at funerals to bring comfort through the knowledge that Jesus is preparing a place in heaven with His father for those who love him. There is great pain in losing people we love, but this hope of seeing them again touches our hearts at the deepest level.
There is another aspect of this verse that is equally important. We have the capacity to redirect our heart away from troubles. Jesus is implying that we can bring comfort to our thoughts in the middle of our pain. How? By believing in God and now in Jesus.
How does believing in Jesus connect with our troubled heart? There is comfort that God knows everything about us and has wisdom for our needs. But it is through the life of Jesus that we have a context for what that love and knowledge looks like. Earlier John says that this glory of God (Jesus) lived among us. Jesus is telling his disciples that everything you have seen, heard, and experienced in His life is true. He will always be with them, even after His death as He will rise again. Jesus makes all the difference in our lives.
As a child I always liked the peel on stickers that you could place on a book to add to the pictures. You may have a “sticker of a problem” right now in your life. Take you problem and place it in the framework of the finished work and character of Jesus. Look at all of the promises of God that surrounds your “sticker of a problem”. Notice how small it becomes in the light of the glory and majesty of our Savior. You have real pain, but it sure does look different in Jesus’ world.
You have a choice. Choose to place your trouble in the larger picture of Jesus love in action. Believe in Jesus.
Blessings Love y’all