Two Thieves in the Palace

“Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

There are two thieves waiting to ransack your life. These unscrupulous scoundrels will seize upon any opportunity they find, and once given access into the unsuspecting soul they will trash the palace with utter disregard to the value of its priceless treasures. Their names are Hurry and Worry.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” Jesus said. The word he used means to be agitated like boiling water. In other words, don’t be over heated and in a hurry. Jesus went on to say, “Don’t be afraid.” The word here means cowardly and unbelieving. Hurry will trouble your heart, and worry will make it afraid. And both will ruin your life.

What a bizarre pairing they make -- inseparably linked in bipolar tension and continually at war with each other.

Hurry always runs ahead, while worry lags behind. Hurry is reckless; Worry is cautious. Hurry sees only those things that speed him on his way, while Worry sees only those things that are in the way and are sure to cause a problem.

Hurry never sees the thousands of little things that make life truly worth living. Worry sees nothing but a thousand little things, none of which have anything to do with life at all.

Hurry never thinks about the consequences of hasty choices, and Worry never makes a choice at all – for it might be the wrong one.

These two thieves are forever pulling in opposite directions. God pity the man or woman whose is filled with hurry and worry. Oh hear the words of Jesus as He speak straight to you – “Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.”