Friday, July 7, 2023

When it comes to self-care, until there is an issue, “heart care” isn’t often ranked particularly high. Unless, you’re like me and both parents passed from heart disease. Just as a healthy diet and regular exercise can help us avoid physical heart disease, spiritually our hearts need attention as well. A broken heart can sap a person’s strength (Proverbs 17:22), wreaking havoc on the carrier and, potentially, their countless victims. 

Last weekend Lauren Snyder’s message started with analyzing the lyrics from “Cold Heart” by Elton John and Dua Lipa. The song expresses deep pain that resulted in a hardened heart. Like the song, many of us distance ourselves from the people and things that cause us pain. 

In an effort to avoid the things that leave us feeling weary or wounded, some respond by keeping extremely busy, others engage in mindless activities, and some put on a mask to hide their pain, all the while remaining unwell due to unresolved heart issues. Instead of covering the pain, the solution to this affliction is to examine one’s own heart. We need to put in the necessary “heart work,” as Lauren called it, in order to grow. Scripture reminds us of the importance of caring for the emotional and spiritual well-being of our hearts as it can have a major impact on our lives.

Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Thankfully, God arranged an undeniable opportunity for me to step into examining my own heart. At that juncture, life reminded me there is no better place nor time to fully turn God’s direction than when your heart is (again) heavy laden. In my case, much of it was the result of multiple broken family relationships.

In spring 2021, a wellspring of psychological wholeness showed up in my life in the form of podcasts and a book by Dr. Henry Cloud. The journey culminated after years of spiritual wandering, similar to the Israelites rambling journey through the desert for forty years. Much “inner” work in addition to newfound understanding brought a clarity that was previously unknown to me. Deep healing began as the sludge of life came to the surface of my heart. God faithfully showed up and empowered me to come to terms with hard facts and guided me to gently release previously unfelt feelings. While genuine grief was part of that process, without the grief, healing would have never started.

Examining my heart through the lens of God’s Word and its many truths forced me to remove the mask I was wearing to conceal my profound brokenness. Blocks of wholeness have now replaced areas of barrenness and brokenness—all to the glory of God. Because he is faithful in keeping his word, this broken soul is regaining ground previously taken by the enemy. 

In God’s kingdom, heart work pays off.

Questions:
In what ways does your wounded and weary heart need attention?

What steps can you take to reduce or eliminate your existing weariness and wounds?

Next Steps:
Examine your own heart: “Worry ‘bout yo’self.” Consider your go-to response when someone asks how you are. Determine if your response actually reflects how you are feeling. Instead of replying, “I’m fine,” strive to accurately respond to genuine inquiries. 

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you know my motives and my thoughts. Nudge me when I choose to ignore your promptings. May your love for me cause a stir whenever I stray from you and your call in my life. Grant me courage to thoroughly examine my own heart. Remind me to keep you at the center of my every thought and deed. May those closest to me clearly see you at work as you transform me into the image of Jesus Christ. Thank you for loving me too much to leave me in my current state. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Ecclesiastes 9:17
Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king.