How’s Your Heart?!
Well, that’s a loaded question… and it’s ultimately why women run from me at the park… because they know I don’t care about the weather or the news or the latest on social media, I care about their heart.
I care about your heart.
Sooooo… how’s your heart?!
I think this is an important question AND can open up a can of worms if we’re not equipped with the right process. That being said, I’d like to talk with you about why the condition of your heart matters and how to run the right process to keep it whole.
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Why does the condition of your heart matter?
Scripture tells us, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45 CSB).
The condition of your heart matters because your mouth will speak from it.
What you are saying out of that mouth of yours has nothing to do with the reality around you, it has to do with the reality within you.
For most, we blame what we’re saying on the people around us or the circumstances that have happened or are happening. “LIFE happens,” failure, loss, setback, people hurt you, you make mistakes, ALL THE THINGS. So we find ourselves saying things based upon what’s happening around us but the truth is, what you’re saying isn’t because of the conditions around you, it’s based upon the conditions within you.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the things around us absolutely impact our hearts. It’s the list of things above that cause us to start to shut down, push back, retreat and hide, guard our hearts (not in a good way) and so begins the mass destruction. It’s the pain of the outside that begins to cause the pain on the inside and it’s the lack of holy process that allows us to heal and stay whole that ultimately is what causes our hearts to shut down, “grow evil” and ultimately spill over from our very mouths.
I am not here to downplay what has happened, is happening, or will happen to you. I hate evil. I can’t stand the pain of this world. And yet, I am not here to help you fight it, I am here to remind you that we must heal despite it.
Healing is a process of life we MUST get good at.
They say, “time heals everything” but I’d like to beg to differ. It’s straight up NOT TRUE. Time does not heal everything, HEALING heals everything.
Therefore, we (YOU) need a process.
What’s your process to keep your heart whole?
3 simple, stupid hard steps.
1.Take your heart to God!
This doesn’t fix the problems of today, it shifts our attention despite the problems. Too often we focus so much on the problem, on the pain
that it becomes our God… it becomes our source. But the Bible is very clear on this. It says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.
The phrase “take heart” is found five other times in the New Testament, which means it’s something the Lord wants us to pay attention to.
Take by definition means: to get into one’s hands or into one’s possession, power, or control, such as; to seize or capture physically.
That means, when you TAKE HEART, you’re literally seizing your heart, your grabbing it and causing it to go to God. This is one of the greatest pattern interrupts of your life. Instead of letting the pain cause you to hide your heart, guard your heart, shut your heart down, this TAKE HEART causes you to proactively seize it despite the pain and place it in the very possession of God.
Once you proactively take your heart to God, giving it back to him, then you:
2. Set Your Heart on Him
The word of God says, “Set your hearts on things above” Colossians 3:1.
That word “set” means: intent, determined. set upon going; intentional, premeditated, did it of set purpose; fixed by authority, appointment, or agreement; put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position; put or bring into a specified state.
That means, don’t set your heart on things of this world. Don’t set your heart on the pain. Don’t set your heart in the dark or on alcohol, or on affirmation of other people. NOT on the expectations of others… success, fame, or anything in between. Intentionally, purposefully, as though you have an appointment with God, set your heart on things above!
WHICH, will lead us back to making Luke 6: 45 a positive reality because when you store up heaven’s realities in your heart, the mouth will speak of such things. We want to hear heaven from your mouth! But your heart must be soaking in its realities.
Set your heart on the thing above the thing.
Once your heart is set on heaven’s realities, set on the things of God, then you can:
3. Put your heart in everything you do
The word says, “Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others” Colossians 4:23.
Put, by definition, means: to bring or take an object (or cause it to go) to a certain location or position in order to leave it there.
You might be missing the fire today. You lack in passion. You have very little motivation. You’re dry. But you’re burning for more, you’re burning for his passion, you desire to put your whole heart into the life that you’re living. This isn’t just a nice idea to make you feel good, this is a part of God’s original design.
He created you to put your whole heart into everything you do for his name’s sake. He designed you to live ALIVE so that you could testify of his goodness. And not just when everything was easy or perfect, but in all things, at all times, giving it everything you’ve got.
IF you’re struggling with this today, go back to step #1 – take your heart to him.
It’s likely you haven’t been taking your heart to him.
It’s time for you to do so.
Then set your heart on heaven’s realities, his goodness.
And from there, your heart is able to find the renewal it’s been wanting, the healing it’s been needing, and finally you will find yourself able to put your whole heart into everything you do!
All for the glory of God!
Join me today…
Take. Set. Put.
And don’t stop.
To listen to this entire devotional, CLICK HERE.
