What the Bible says about Overcoming Troubled Hearts
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Matthew 19:16-22 First, why did Jesus ask him, "Why do you call Me good?" His underlying question is, "Do you really believe that I am God in the flesh?" Apparently, the man did not, because if he had believed, he would have sacrificed everything to follow Him. Jesus knew that he really did not believe that he was the Son of God. Second, what did Christ offer him? He offered him a place or position in the Kingdom of God—certainly the opportunity to be in the first resurrection—when He said, "If you want to be perfect, give up all you have and follow Me." It is the same opportunity that has been opened to us, going on to perfection (Hebrews 6:1). We, too, must be willing to give up everything to follow Him: our wealth, positions, possessions, families, and even our lives. Did Christ not say, "He who loses his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 10:39)? This example shows that the young man's fear of losing his security—which was in his possessions, his wealth, and not in God—coupled with his unbelief that Jesus was God in the flesh, caused him to have a troubled heart. It expressed itself as visible sorrow. We need to understand that—even though we, like this man, may be trying to keep the commandments—destructive fear (as opposed to the fear of God), together with unbelief, can turn us away from following Jesus Christ and cause us to lose our opportunity to be part of God's firstfruits. This is why we must not let ourselves become overwhelmed by our emotions during unsettling times—why Jesus commands us to get a grip on our hearts and let His peace comfort us. For God is "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (II Corinthians 1:3). Clyde Finklea Overcoming Troubled Hearts (Part One) Related Topics: Overcoming Troubled Hearts | Parable of the Rich Young Man | Rich Young Ruler

John 13:34 In John 13:34 and 15:12, Jesus gives us a new commandment, to love one another as He has loved us. The command that God's people love one another was, of course, not new (see Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5). As an outworking of love for God, loving others is at the heart of God's law and expresses the last six of the Ten Commandments. So why does the Lord call this "a new commandment"? "New" is the Greek kainos, which often denotes what is qualitatively new as compared to what has existed until now. That is, which is better: what is old or what is young or recent? Kainos describes what is new in the sense of "unused" Faithor "fresh." So, while the idea of loving others was not new in the sense of "recent," it was new in the sense that no one had fully manifested God's love as had the Savior in such a sacrificial way—such love was unused. In contrast to the practices of the self-righteous Pharisees, Jesus had come to fulfill the law and demonstrate its true meaning in both love to God and in love for others. The new commandment to love one another, then, is based on His example: "as I have loved you." The command is new because it is a special love for other believers based on the sacrificial example of Christ's love. When tribulation comes upon us, we must realize that God will be testing our faith and love toward Him and each other. With faith in God—without which it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6)—and with our hearts filled with His perfect love, we are equipped with the two elements we need to overcome the destructive fear and unbelief that cause troubled hearts. Scripture exhorts us to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and, by using it, to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit—the godly virtues listed in Galatians 5:22-23. How do we know if we are "full of love" or "full of faith," for example? Consider a water-saturated sponge. If we put even slight pressure on the sponge, water runs out. We immediately know what fills the sponge. The same is true with us. We can tell what fills us on the inside by what comes out under pressure. We need to ask ourselves, "Do our faith and love come out when under trial, or is it something else?" Our hearts will continue to be troubled until we can overcome our fear and unbelief with godly faith and love. Clyde Finklea Overcoming Troubled Hearts (Part Two) Related Topics: Faith, Testing of | Kainos | Overcoming Troubled Hearts

 

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