There was a time many years ago that I listened to “talk radio” on a regular basis. I seldom do so these days, but I remember one host who regularly used wordfs from Scripture as a catch phrase on his show. He would talk about an issue that was not going the way he thought it should be and then say: “ Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled.”

That is sound advice for everyone, no matter where you find yourself on the political spectrum. Panic won’t help anything. This phrase is sound advice because it comes from God.

John 14:1–3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:27 (NIV84)  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33 (NIV84) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

That phrase was spoken by our Lord several times to His disciples on the night that He would be betrayed and handed over to those who would put Him to death even though He had done nothing wrong. Jesus spoke these words to His followers knowing what He was about to endure for us.

Later that same evening, Matthew describes the struggle Jesus endured in the garden.

Matthew 26:36–38 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Jesus tells the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled and then we read that He is sorrowful and troubled! Is Jesus being hypocritical here? Is this an example of someone telling us “do as I say not as I do?” Absolutely not! Jesus tells us not to be troubled because that was one of the things He would do on our behalf. He lived a perfect life for us. He endured hardships and pain and suffering and sorrow and troubles for us. He carried the weight of all our burdens on Himself as He went to the cross and overcame them all through His death in our place. That is why He encourages us “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

“In this world you will have trouble.” While we will have trouble in this world, all because of sin, we are reminded that Jesus has overcome that for us. We have more than this world. We have peace with God and the assurance of eternal life. Jesus gives us His peace. And Paul affirms this is ours:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

This is not only a hope for the future. It is a present reality for believers. We have peace with God now. He earned that for us. Through faith we grab hold of what He offers.

Let not your hearts be troubled.