I was preaching in San Rafael last Sunday. The sermon text the Lord had given me began with John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” My message was already prepared on Saturday when the attacker in El Paso, Texas, killed twenty-two people. That evening, in Dayton, Ohio, another man killed nine more people. Many were wounded in both places.
Jesus spoke truth to his disciples to give them peace and a strategy for living in a violent world. Satan has an agenda to bring fear and division. Mass murderers are following a demonic agenda, which we must resist. If our hearts are afraid, we won’t express love to one another. If we judge people, we won’t have compassion or go out of our way to help others in need. We want to have compassion, yet compassion makes us vulnerable to the pain of others.
It is a spiritual discipline to keep our hearts free from trouble. Some people try to avoid the news to keep their hearts at peace. Others simply harden their hearts to avoid pain. Neither of those are healthy options. Jesus is our role model for healthy living. He promised his disciples that they would have his joy in them if they loved one another (John 15:11-12). Jesus knew far more about the evil in his day than we do, yet he still lived with joy. He had a perspective on the problems of people that enabled him to see their failures without letting their failures rob him of joy.
In Matthew 25:21, the faithful servant was told, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.” The master, God himself, has joy to share with his faithful servants. God knows everything that goes on under the sun and he still has joy. Joy is a part of his loving nature.
Our heavenly Father will one day judge everyone, giving both rewards and punishment. We should remind people of the reality of hell. The knowledge of hell might give pause to a few murderous people before they kill others and kill themselves. All of us should be sharing our faith with others. We are called to be salt and light. Spiritual salt can preserve society from evil. Light gives people an understanding of the meaning of life. If salt loses its saltiness, what good is it?
Believing in Jesus does not mean we should withdraw from politics or the vital issues of our day. We should engage in debates over gun control, abortion, federal deficits, and immigration. We need bold leaders with good character, and we must be bold believers with wisdom and courage. We can never afford to stay silent because of fear. We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved (Hebrews 10:38).
The words of Jesus can give us comfort and hope in any situation. Our family has been dealing with Kristina’s failing heart. My wife has had multiple hospitalizations, surgeries, and procedures in the last two years. She is now in a twelve-week preparation process to qualify for the heart transplant list. They need to make sure she is healthy enough, so the transplant operation doesn’t kill her. It has been a battle for her to stay alive. She can’t drive, must take many pills daily, has a PICC line delivering meds 24/7, and goes to doctor appointments or cardiac rehab almost every day.
Kristina’s spirit is wonderful. She is not depressed; she really wants to live. We are still enjoying life together. The prayers of many friends are keeping us buoyed by the Holy Spirit. When we get anxious and troubled, we embrace the words of Jesus, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
Jesus will open the doors of heaven for us one day. Until then, we don’t want fear to rob us of a single hour, or ruin a single day. Jesus enjoyed life, even as he approached death. He is our example and our hope. Jesus is our Lord, and by God’s grace, we will serve him all our days.