Let not your heart be troubled

'Let not your heart be troubled'

— John 14:1

These are words of love and concern. They are the gentle words of our faithful Friend. But they are words of reproof. Our Lord is telling us that believing hearts ought never to be anxious, fearful and worried. He would have us cast our care upon him and trust him to provide for us and protect us in all things (I Peter 5:6-7). When our hearts are troubled there is trouble in our hearts. I know that whenever my heart is troubled with worry, anxiety and fear my trouble can be traced to some evil thing in my heart.

Pride is a terrible source of heart trouble, It is pride that causes us to rebel against God’s providence. Most of our sorrows arise from within. ‘When self is conquered, sorrow is to a great extent banished from the human heart’ (Spurgeon). We shall find no comfort for our hearts until our pride is broken and our hearts are subdued (job 1:20-22; 2:9-10).

Unbelief is the root of all heart trouble. Worry, anxiety and fear are the fruits of unbelief. If I believe God there is nothing I can reasonably fear, worry about or anxiously consider (Matt. 6:25-34). One old preacher said, ‘I dare not fret any more than I dare curse and swear.'

Covetousness is a real, though unacknowledged, cause of heart trouble. Our hearts are troubled because we want God to do what he has not done or give what he has riot given. That is covetousness (Phil. 4:11).

Envy, the desire of another person’s ease, wealth or position, causes a believer’s heart great trouble (Ps. 73:1-3). Envy is the most loathsome, vicious child pride ever sired. As a moth eats cloth, so envy eats a man. It is the most cruel, destructive passion of the human heart.

Self-pity is the sum of all these evils. Usually troubled hearts are peevish, self-willed, self-pitying hearts. The spirit of Christ is humility, not pride; faith, not unbelief; contentment, not covetousness; peace, not envy; self-denial, not self-pity. If you would be free of heart trouble, believe Christ and walk in the spirit of Christ.