HEART

Alright, everyone, heart check. How you doing? I imagine, if I could hear you, we’d get a lot of Midwestern ‘fines’ or ‘I’m doing alright’. And I do the same thing. But, seriously, it’s been a heavy, hard and hurtful year, right? I think all of us had some struggle, and many of us had significant struggles. Which is why it seemed like a good time to do an H.E.A.R.T. check.
First, H is for ‘am I hurting?’ Proverbs 4.23 says, ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.’ (ESV) And though physical hurt is important, we’re talking more specifically about spiritual and emotional hurt. If I have hurt, where does it come from? Is there a situation, circumstance or relationship that causes that hurt?
Second, E is for ‘exhausted’. Philippians 4.7 says, ‘And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ (ESV) This isn’t necessarily about staying up all night with the baby! This means, am I just worn out. Am I not able to function at full capacity because of some emotion I’m feeling? Is there, again, a reason behind this exhaustion (person, situation, etc)?
Next is A for ‘angry’. James 1.20 tells us, ‘For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.’ (ESV) Now anger is one of those tricky emotions, I think, because it has so many levels, from a flare up to long term anger. But, most importantly, do I have any anger right now? Where does it come from? How did it get there? How long has it been there? Because, not dealing with anger leads to R.
And R is for ‘resentful’. Romans 12.21 reads ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (ESV) Resentment is so difficult to deal with because it seems like it is simply the culmination of so many other emotions, but that means it needs to be addressed well, too. So, are there hurts in my world that I haven’t let go of or worked out? Is there a growth on my heart that has made us callous? What have I held onto for too long?
Finally, T is for ‘tense’. 1 Peter 5.7 writes, ‘Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.’ (ESV) If we feel tension, and often that shows up very physically in our backs and necks, where does it come from? What situation and relationship is causing that tension?
I think, most importantly in this HEART checkup is that we don’t necessarily try to find answers or solve the problem as much as we try to look at the underlying causes to the hurt or anger and simply pray about them. So, take your time and really ask yourself these questions, so that hopefully we can better deal with the world around us. God bless.