Heart Trouble is Self-inflicted

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (Joh 14:1 AV)

 

If our heart is troubled, it is because we allow it to be.  Twice in this chapter, the LORD tells His disciples not to allow their hearts to be troubled.  This instruction is in the context of the pending death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.  Their world was going to radically change.  For three and a half years, they have had a relatively safe ministry.  In a matter of a week, that was all going to change.  For three and a half years, they had a leader who took control of everything.  In a matter of one week, that was all going to change.  They forsook all and followed Jesus, and in a matter of a week, He was going away and they would have to figure things out without Him.  For three and a half years, they witnessed miracle after miracle.  It appeared they were on the winning side.  It was an obvious choice.  In less than a week, they would still be on the winning side, but it will not be all that apparent.  In short, in less than a week they would have much to be troubled about.  It would be natural for their heart to be troubled.  Too much will change all of a sudden. 

As I have related before, last year I was diagnosed with heart palpitations and an irregular heartbeat.  Part of the process of diagnosis was to wear a device that measured my rhythm.  I was instructed to enter notes whenever I felt my heart do jumping jacks.  This happened regularly.  When my appointment came, my cardiologist reviewed the paper readouts and was a bit startled that I could feel all those instances of heart irregularities.  I have clinical proof that I am indeed a sensitive person.  The tech that did an EKG stated they are caused by a valve that doesn’t quite close all the way.  At least on every beat.  My heart was beating so hard it could literally rock a rocking chair.  No kidding!  I had other tests on my brain for another issue and my regular doctor and I agreed I needed to maintain a lower than average blood pressure.  It was great!  While lowering my blood pressure this also affected my heart rhythm issues.  I no longer can feel my heartbeat.  If I am having those irregular heartbeats, I cannot feel it.  One thing I have to be careful about is caffeine.  This is really horrible because, from the age of sixteen on, I lived for my coffee!  Caffeine was the motivation for work and school.  However, If I want to still my heart so that I do not feel as though I am going into cardiac arrest, I have to avoid all stimulants, NSAIDs, and take my meds.  If my heart is troubled, it is because I neglected treatment designed by others for a healthy heart.

In our text, there are two things Jesus tells His disciples He will send that their heart be not troubled.  It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the word of God.  The job of the Holy Spirit is to teach us what we need and remind us of what we have learned.  He does this through the ministry of the word.  A third leg on the stability goal is prayer.  Although not directly mentioned in our passage, it is revealed elsewhere in the word of God.  “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Php 4:6-7 AV)  The future is uncertain.  Most things, anyway.  We know we will get older.  We know we will suffer loss.  We know life gets harder.  These things we know.  But there is coming dark days ahead.  If our hearts are troubled, it is because we allow them to become that way.  We can either go into what is coming with a heart of anticipation, or we can enter them as if this life is all that matters.  Our troubled hearts are troubled because we allow them to be.  Our fears drown out the Spirit, our news outlets drown out the word of God, and our conversation drowns out our prayer.  If we are troubled, it is because we have allowed it to be so.