Trouble is inevitable. Jesus was honest about that.

But while you cannot always control what happens to you, you have absolute authority over what happens in you.

Jesus gave a command that is also a promise: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Notice the phrasing: Let not.

This means the state of your heart is under your jurisdiction. Jesus cannot “let not” for you. Your spouse cannot do it for you. Your pastor cannot do it for you. Only you can forbid your heart from spiraling into panic.

It implies you have a choice. When the bad news comes, when the pressure mounts, you have a split-second decision. You can yield to the familiar pull of anxiety, or you can stand at the door of your heart and say, “No. You are not entering here.”

Make it a practice. When you feel the tightness in your chest or the racing thoughts begin, speak to yourself. Literally.

“Let not your heart be troubled.”

Take authority over your own emotions. You are not a victim of your feelings; you are the gatekeeper of your heart.