HEART Test

A new year means lots of different things. It can mean a fresh start. It can mean a new beginning. It can mean possibilities and hope. But it often, unfortunately, means the same stuff from the past year and past years. In fact, statistically, most New Year’s resolutions won’t last three weeks. And so, in order for us to get a more impactful new year, we need to dig a little deeper into our heart.
And that is why I want to offer a tool that I’ve shared before, but its value is well worth sharing more than once. It’s a tool that can help us to dig deeper into the issues that we face and hopefully bring longer lasting change (four weeks at least, hopefully). But it requires us to be honest with ourselves and allowing God to change us from the inside out. It’s called the HEART test which is a series of questions that help us try to understand what’s happening in our heart.
First, H is for ‘Are you hurting?’ And this can be physical, because our physical pain for sure, but it is also emotional or relational hurt. It’s the idea ‘hurt people hurt people’. If we can assess our hurt, and figure out where that hurt is coming from, we can find ways to bandage and help that hurt heal.
E is for ‘Are you exhausted?’ Again, the physical part is important here but do we just feel constantly worn out or anxious? We aren’t created to handle exhaustion and finding the source and ways to ultimately eliminate why we’re exhausted is essential to better relation health, too.
Next, A is for ‘Are you angry?’ This question is especially important when we’re quick to anger or little things irritate us unreasonably. Slowing down and analyzing that anger often reveals to us a deeper level of some emotion that we might not realize is there.
R is for ‘Are you resentful?’ Built up anger over time leads easily to resentment. Resentment is difficult to resolve because it takes a while to build it up. The only way, ultimately, to relieve resentment is to find ways to let go of it. Asking for God’s help to relieve it makes all the difference.
T, then, is for ‘Are you tense?’ Tension is a huge sign that somethings not sitting right or going where we want it to go. Understanding that tension can reveal to us what in our life isn’t quite right and needs to be addressed.
Honestly, for many of us, doing a HEART check will take some time and effort in order to figure out the root cause of some of our pain, but the benefits are well worth the time. I pray we find ways to analyze our heart to live a healthier new year. God bless.