“Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.” ~ John 14: 1

My daughter asked me the other day if I would ever get a tattoo. It’s an intriguing idea; I have considered it a number of times. But this week, I decided that if it were possible, this verse should be inscribed on the side of my heart.  Because it’s wisdom that I need to hear with every beat of my heart; in my waking and sleeping; when I rise in the morning and I rest in the evening.  I just need these words from Jesus all day long; and I’m guessing that I am not alone in that. I think we could all hear this wisdom more in our lives.

So, hear them again:  “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.”

Take a moment and say them aloud to yourself (whisper or shout or whatever … just do it!) 🙂 Then, read on.

So, I know that there are any number of reasons to be troubled.  Family strife.  Illness.  World hunger.  Broken or stressed relationships.  Work and money problems.  Disappointment. Grief. Not living up to expectations.  I could continue this list for a long while, but I won’t and you can thank me in a comment below – LOL. But, why I need to inscribe John 14:1 on my heart is not because of all of my troubles. No, it’s because Jesus is sharing a means of grace, a means of relief to my troubles that I need to remember always and forever. Jesus invites me and you both (again and again) to a way of life that allows us to not be tied down by the troubles of life.  There is a “YES AND …” that Jesus is sharing that offers peace and comfort and the capacity to live a life infused with joy in the midst of that concerningly long list of troubles.

Here’s what I think that this looks like for me:

Because in that trust is the answer that I need.  Truth is that sometimes I just want God to solve all of my problems! I do; I 100% admit that.  And while that would be nice, what Jesus is teaching me is not that. Jesus teaches that while I might want God to solve it all; what I need is to do is to trust God. 

And in trusting God, the rest follows.   

In trusting God, I am invited to a practice of humility; maybe even to a posture of admitting, “I don’t have all the answers.”  Or, more simply, “I need a little help here because I can’t do this alone.”  In trusting God, I am acknowleding that it’s not all about me.  I am saying:

I need you God.

And I need you, Jesus.

And I need you, neighbor.

I can’t solve all my problems today; I might never ever solve them all.  But, I can let go of the worry and anxiety and troubles that darken my days.  I can trust in God; I can trust in the ways of Jesus. And in that trust, I believe that I can learn to live together with you and my neighbors everywhere as the people of God.

~ Pastor Melinda