Scripture

John 14:1 (ESV)

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

Consider

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It has been said that if you truly believe this very first sentence in Genesis, then you will have no trouble believing the rest of the Bible.

Furthermore, if you believe with all your mind and heart that God is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of everything you are, everything you know, and everything you see around you, then it will be easier for you to relinquish control over your circumstances. This truth is especially important when you are dealing with a frustrating, hurtful, or destructive relationship and you don’t know what to do next.

We develop “troubled hearts” when a difficult relationship leads us to feel angry, anxious, or afraid. Jesus says the surest way out of these feelings is to believe in God.

• We become ANGRY when we believe our personal boundaries have been violated or our rules of right conduct in a relationship are being ignored. However, if we believe in God the Creator and Sustainer, then we realize that even this relationship rightfully belongs to God and is subject to God’s rules and desires, not ours.
• We become ANXIOUS when we assume responsibility for the outcome of a difficult relationship and realize we are woefully inadequate to manage it. However, if we believe in God the Creator and Sustainer, then we give up the illusion that we control the situation and trust God for the outcome.
• We become AFRAID when we feel exposed and vulnerable to physical or emotional harm, or when change threatens what’s familiar and predictable. However, if we believe in God the Creator and Sustainer, then we trust that God has a plan for our lives and will use even this relationship to teach us, strengthen us, or somehow accomplish goodness in the life of this other person as well as our own.

But what if our faith in God isn’t strong enough to counteract our anger, anxiety, or fear? Jesus gives us the answer at the end of the verse: Believe also in me.

Jesus came to earth to show us the Father in his life and miracles. As we follow Jesus, he becomes our bridge to deeper faith in God and our model for living under God’s reign, even in a difficult relationship.

Pray

FATHER, I confess that I often react to relationship conflict in hurtful or ineffective ways because I am either angry at someone’s treatment of me, anxious because I don’t know how to resolve a difficulty, or afraid of the danger that somehow threatens me. Thank you for sending Jesus, who knew anger and fear and anxiety yet always surrendered his situation to your sovereign care. Give me faith to follow in his trusting footsteps and reshape my experience of the situation until I see it through your eyes.

Reflect

Matthew 11:27; John 14:6-7

Ponder

How might a strong belief in God the Creator and Sustainer help you through a personal conflict?