“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
John 14:1 (NLT)
Jesus does not begin this conversation by explaining heaven, the Spirit, or what comes next. He starts by addressing the condition of their hearts. Don’t let them be troubled. Trouble doesn’t take control on its own—we allow it. Fear is not always forced on us; often it’s permitted by where we place our trust.
Jesus then gives the remedy: trust. Not blind optimism. Not denial. Trust in God—and trust in Him. This isn’t an over-spiritual escape clause. It’s a deliberate shift of confidence. Troubled hearts come from focusing on what God hasn’t done instead of believing who He is. When trust moves from circumstances to Christ, peace follows.
Our hearts are also troubled by what we abide in. What we watch. What we listen to. What we rehearse. Where our attention lives, our heart settles. Anxiety grows when our focus stays on the noise of the world instead of the nearness of Jesus.
But the deeper context matters most. Jesus says this because He is leaving. The disciples are about to feel loss—but His departure is not abandonment. It is transition. He goes to prepare a place and to send the Spirit. God now lives within us. Peace is no longer external—it is internal. So choose which story you believe. Trust the place He’s prepared for you ahead, and the presence He’s given you now.