Troubled?
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.” -- John 14:1
Trouble and being troubled are two completely different things.
Trouble is being down by a run, nobody on base, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and our worst hitter coming to the plate. Being troubled is having no strategy for this scenario and not being prepared to accept the possible consequences that are about to come.
As competitors, there will be many times when we will have to declare to our team, “Don’t worry, everything will be OK.” As competitors, we need to aim high in becoming trustworthy to help our teammates reach their potential. If our teammates can’t trust us, then why should they follow us?
In John 14:1, Jesus told His disciples, “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.” Through His words, Christ offered His followers comfort for the difficult days ahead. He knew that they were about to face some major trouble — serious persecution and, for some, even death. Jesus knew that trouble was coming for Him and for His followers, but He didn’t want them to be troubled while facing it. And He doesn’t want us to be troubled either.
God invites us, in the midst of any trouble that we are experiencing, to bring our troubled hearts to our trustworthy God. Even when our hearts are troubled, the ultimate remedy is still the same — totally trusting the Lord!
- What in the past has helped you face trouble in your sport, in life or your spiritual walk?
- How can the way you handle trouble uplift your teammates or coaches?
“Lord, if trouble comes today, help me to come to You, believing that You will work it out according to Your good purposes! Amen.”