Troubled Belief
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Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:1
The cutest little boy who was probably around three years old, stood on the folding chair next to his mom in the front row of the grandstand as the county bands performed their band shows on opening day of the fair. Each band director stood on a chair or ladder in front of this little boy directing their individual bands. Soon this little boy dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and a hat began directing behind the band director. His little body was moving with the music, and his arms were directing in rhythm with the beat of each song. For almost an hour, this little boy never lost his enthusiasm or stamina. It was as if he believed that the band members were following his direction. He brought joy and smiles to the band show.
This little boy was oblivious to the crowd around him except his mom, and I think he believed he was literally directing the music. He was not troubled by any noises or people around him. Even one of the band directors came up to him and gave him a “high five” after the completion of the band show. The little boy believed he was helping the bands and found joy in the moment. It was evident by the smile on his face and the excitement in his body as he swayed to the music.
Are you troubled about life around you? Is your heart troubled? To be troubled means to be unsettled, distressed, concerned, worried, stressed, or to have anxiety. “Of course,” you say. “Isn’t everyone?” These are words common in our everyday conversations. I hear them in most of my counseling sessions. Jesus states in John 14:1 – “Let not your hearts be troubled.” We scoff and say, “That’s impossible in my life. Maybe then but not now. Life is different now.” Is it really? Where is your focus in what you believe about life and God’s presence?
Are you troubled in your belief? That is, Jesus says that we need not be troubled or anxious or even worry when we believe in Him. So, if I am worried and troubled, does that mean I do not believe? I don’t think so. These are normal and natural feelings. It is not wrong to feel them. We are grounded in our belief system and usually build our foundation for life on our basic beliefs. As a Christian, our basic beliefs are grounded in Jesus as our Lord and Savior who died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that God is with us through the gift of His Holy Spirit. Sometimes we have trouble translating our basic beliefs into everyday living.
That is, we tend to separate our spiritual foundation of belief from our everyday life and decision-making in the routines and basics of existing in this world. God is with us when we pray. When we are at Church, and when we serve Him, but we tend not to recognize God is with us doing dishes, mowing the lawn, going to school, driving to work, and even at our work place. That is when we become troubled. Life is up to us, and it gets overwhelming to figure everything out on our own. There is too much to do. Too many problems and struggles. Too many demands. We lose our focus and get distracted by the world around us.
Oh, we pray about these situations and ask for God’s guidance, but rarely do we wait for an answer. We plow ahead as if everything is on our shoulders. We strive to be independent and confident. We do not need help. We can do it on our own, but then the unexpected happens. Life becomes different and we lose our back up. We have no back up plan, and that is when we become troubled, anxious, worried and afraid.
You know you are saved from your sins through Jesus, and you confess them. You know Jesus died on the cross for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. But in your believing in Jesus, are you trusting that He cares about your daily, routine of life and wants to be your support, comfort, help, guide, and friend on the journey? Are you troubled that you have worries and anxieties and know you should not? The only way to release these troubles is to trust Jesus is with you every moment of every day, and Jesus cares about every aspect of your life. From the big decisions of relationships to the small decision about what to eat and buy. Your focus needs to be on Jesus just like that little boy kept his focus on the band and listened to the rhythm of the music. Follow the rhythm of God’s Holy Spirit.
When your belief system reminds you not to worry and you still do, you become more worried that you are not measuring up to God’s standards. This is missing the essence of belief in Jesus. Jesus wants to walk with you each step of life. God wants you to be aware of His presence in each moment of life, not to judge you, but to love and guide you. Jesus carries our burdens, our cares, our worries and gives to us His peace, protection, love and grace in exchange.
So, when Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me,” He is saying to you and me, “I got this. Trust me.” Breathe in the Spirit of Jesus every moment of every day. When you start to feel anxious or troubled, stop and release it to God. Don’t worry about others around you, allow God to direct the music of your daily life. Find the joy in the adventure of life.
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