Lately, my heart has been troubled.
There is an underlying uneasy feeling deep within my soul.
An unsettled-ness that isn’t welcome.
I’ve been troubled by concerns of this world.
troubled by rampant evil
troubled by hurting people
troubled by loss and sadness
troubled by uncertainty
troubled by selfishness and sin
troubled by Christians being unlike Christ
troubled by the headlines in the news
troubled by fears
troubled by comparison and striving to be more that I am
troubled by discontentment
In being troubled, it has been hard to find joy.
That’s what troubles do. They crowd out the joy that we have in Christ.
Christ has something to say about His children being troubled.
In John 14:1 he says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
Christ was troubled Himself during His time on earth. He was troubled at the death of a friend, troubled at death’s toll, and He was troubled by unbelief, hypocrisy, and religious piety.
Because He was troubled, we don’t have to be.
How is that accomplished? Being without a troubled spirit seems like an unattainable dream in this uncertain world filled with concerns.
We are given the answer to that most important question in God’s Word.
We can “let not our hearts be troubled” by…
Believing in Christ
I cannot fathom a life without Christ. Without belief in God and in Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, living an untroubled life is simply impossible.
We can “let not our hearts be troubled” by…
Coming to God in Prayer and Supplication about Everything
Everything? Yes, everything!
If we would but just come to our loving Father God in prayer with every concern that crosses our mind, we would find peace. From the big concerns to the seemingly small, we find peace in prayer. Prayer can sound so complicated, but it is simply our communication with God. As our creator and our loving, caring Father He wants us to let our requests be made known to Him. Doing so in prayer gives peace to our troubled hearts.
We can “let not our hearts be troubled” by…
Offering Thanksgiving
With thanksgiving is how we are to make those prayers known to God. Not with trepidation, trembling, or fear, but with thanksgiving we can make our requests known.
The practice of thanksgiving is not just for the month of November, it is to be the way we live our lives. It is the only way a life without the burden of troubles can be lived. We must intentionally search out and find things to be thankful for. The blessings of God abound all around us! We need only to pause, look, notice, and offer thanks!
Even if we have nothing to offer thanksgiving for except Christ, that is enough! He is enough!
I love the verse that follows Philippians 4:6. It is a beautiful promise of what is to come if in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we let our requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 4:7
With the peace of God guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, I am free of this troubled spirit that seeks to destroy. I am filled with joy and I am able to live the abundant life I am promised in spite of whatever else may be going on in my personal life or in this world, which is not my home.
Barbie says
I understand completely. Whispering a prayer for you tonight!