Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

“Christ’s peace must reign in your hearts, since as members of the one body you have been called to that peace let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you—whatever you do whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to the father through Him” (1Col 3:12–17).

At times, it may seem difficult to listen to Jesus speak to his followers because what he says appears to have no bearing with the realities on the ground. The realities we experience tend to run contrary to the sayings of Jesus. That makes us wonder whether Jesus was indeed born of a woman or simply dropped from the sky.

We are all aware of earthquakes that rock most regions of the world, leaving huge devastation in their wake.

Tornadoes and hurricanes have become a permanent feature of our seasons. Torrential rainfall, which could amount to a deluge, occurs every now and again, adding to the concern of farmers and productivity of any nation. At certain times of the year, the scorching heat of the sun leaves people miserable and famished so much so that such has now become a common occurrence. Wild fires and infernos that gut acres of rich land, destroying houses and valuable possessions and rendering many homeless, are no longer few and far between. Hunger, in most regions of the world, has left millions of people malnourished and wasting away, uncertain of their future and life in general. There are now as many diseases as there are people in the world—from HIV and Cancer to Lou Gehrig’s Disease and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Not to mention the sustained threats of terrorists in every part of the world, which have left travelers spellbound and crippled with fear as to the next move of this peace-threatening cabal.

Havoc wreaked by terrorists in recent times makes our world unsafe and, once again, calls into question the possibility of global peace in our time. In the past, Peace on Earth was what we prayed for on Sunday mornings—now it is something we pray for every day. Our global economy is taking a nosedive into a bottomless pit, and inflation is at an all-time high in most regions of the world.

Survival in these difficult times is not only a challenge but also a daunting task. As one person succinctly put it, “Death is more enticing these days than life itself.” Surely, because these new difficulties have almost divested life of its meaning, leaving it bruised at every twist and turn. In addition to these natural occurrences, we also have people’s attitudes to deal with. Insincerity, an inability to forgive, flattery, dishonesty in dealing with others, sabotage, jealousy, bitterness of mind, gossip, and hypocrisy now abound among friends and neighbors.

It becomes difficult then to place the words of Jesus in our context because they would be a misfit. How could we be surrounded with such negativism and hopelessness and yet be told not to worry? Can you beat a child and at the same time tell him/her not to cry? Jesus tells us that there are two ways of looking at his statement. If, for instance, we pin our hopes on the passing things of life (which are characterized by change), then we have need to worry. If we concentrate more on swindling and making more money for the self, then we have need to worry. If we wish to spend much of our energy chasing shadows instead of substance, then we have need to worry. If we wish to apply our energies on what to wear and how we look, then we have need to worry. If we are trying to outdo each other in the quest for positions and offices, then we have need to worry. If we are hell-bent on fomenting violence and eliminating perceived or imaginary enemies, then we have need to worry. If we are the gossiping type or one who listens to gossip and peddles rumors, then we have need to worry. If we wish to seek for honor, power, and authority all our life, then we have need to worry. If we strive to keep others from rising to the place of their destiny, then we have more need to worry because in this case, we challenge God, who charts the road maps of people.

Scott Hahn said that to “live a good life is not to live free of troubles but to live free of needless worry.”

This is the way in which Jesus meant for his statement to be understood when he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Again, by that Jesus is teaching us that when we put our focus on ephemeral things, we have no spiritual satisfaction from it, only material. But material things never satisfy us because they are always fleeting and ever changing, every moment in time. To focus on Jesus is to be well fed, well nourished, and well satisfied. He is the only one thing we need and the only one thing we miss so much because we misplace our priorities. He assures us that, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want” (Psalm 23). He also assures us that he is the living bread, which means that he can satisfy our hunger for eternity.  He is the good shepherd, which means that he cannot lead us amiss. He will always lead us in the right path and would sacrifice anything for the well-being of his sheep. He is the door, which means that if we wish to inherit eternal life, we must go through him. Not to go through a door in trying to enter a house is to risk going through a window, which might result in injury or an inability to reach one’s destination because the window is not meant to be used as an entrance into a building.