Troubled Hearts
by John Berry
I was visiting a certain country recently, to encourage a pastor friend, and teach some of the truths which are foundational to Ellel Ministries. In the course of my conversations, the pastor expressed concerns about the future, due to financial pressures now requiring him to pay a substantial rent for the buildings his church meets in. At the end of our talks, he said that the only way ahead was to trust God to provide the impossible amount of money needed.
The following day I was travelling with a group from the church in a minibus at what to me seemed lethal speeds. Sitting in the front seat and seeing the oncoming traffic heading straight for you at a speed of 170 kilometres per hour when you are also travelling at that speed tends to generate a bit of stress! There was nothing I could do, especially as the driver didn’t speak English and my grasp of his language was not extensive. After a while I remembered my pastor friend’s comments about trusting God, and amazingly found myself able to relax and enjoy the journey – most of the time.
There are often experiences in life which are beyond our control and can cause us anxiety. The courses we run on stress and anxiety are always well-attended because this problem is a common problem for Christians, just as much as it is for the rest of the human population. However, we would do well to start with remembering that Jesus advised his disciples not to be troubled but to trust.
The more we get to know God, the more we shall be able to trust Him in our times of anxiety. There may be issues which make trust a problem for us, and these can be addressed in prayer ministry, but instead of getting anxious it is better to use our energies on praying for God’s safe-keeping. I would rather trust God than the skill of ungodly drivers anyday!
Prayer: Help me, Lord, when I’m in situations that I can’t control, to trust you to be in control of my life. Thank you that my destiny is in Your hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
John Berry entered the Baptist Ministry more than 40 years ago, and joined the Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor in 2007 with his wife Jennie. They have both now retired from the team but remain as part of the Teaching and Associate Ministry Teams at Glyndley. John and Jennie have seven Grandchildren.
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