Take It To Heart
Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Last month, in the Towdah email series, we talked about the function and importance of lymph for clearing the junk out of our bodies. In that same way the lymph and its movement are connected to the physical heart, these systems of clearing or stagnation, death or life are connected spiritually, as well. Cleaning the junk out spiritually and physically are equally vital, and it is important to note where the “junk” most often stagnates in our physical body as well as in our souls.
Holistically, we are made up of body, soul, and spirit. When the root cause of problems with the physical body do not get addressed, it affects physical function. The same can be said of areas of pain in the spiritual and emotional sense.
Does the spiritual/emotional heart exist?
None of us have ever held in our hands a broken heart. But all of us, at some point, have known the acute pain - physically and emotionally - that a broken heart can cause. Obviously we know our physical heart is intact, while the emotional and spiritual heart can be shattered. The physical body is the material part if you that is distinct from, but interwoven with, the immaterial part of you. The spiritual heart holds our emotions and directs our affections. It often controls our mind and our will. It is the very core of our innermost being leading and directing us. Our hearts were created to be circumcised to God. Separated from the flesh which can be deceitful, selfish, bitter, hard-as-stone and downright ugly. Given, instead, over to God to mold, shape, and create new life in us. (Jeremiah 4:3-4). This is where the heart and the mind make connection. It is both outwardly and internally expressed.
We were created for connection with God and with others. When that connection with God was severed by sin we were not only disconnected from our Creator but also, in many ways, disconnected from others in the way we were designed to connect.
In heart map studies, we have seen that mothers and their babies have the amazing ability to synchronize their heartbeats. Those babies who were not able to connect with skin-on-skin, establish eye contact with their mother, isolated preemies, or children whose mothers had some form of postpartum depression, had a greater difficulty growing to be socially empathetic. The synchronization happened not only when the mom had a calm heart beat but also in a rapid heartbeat. We were not only meant to connect, but we were meant to enter in with each other. Through the highs and lows, our emotions affect others. How we live our lives and the condition of our hearts, will affect others - especially our kids. As parents, we are the doorkeepers to the influence and impact on the little hearts entrusted to our care. And those who are not parents, your influence reaches farther than you may realize. Even if there aren’t little eyes yet watching your actions and your emotions, you have a great impact and influence on friends, family members, and even coworkers. We all maintain a sphere of influence. And we are all able to affect the relationships - for better, or for worse.
In Dr. Natasha McBride’s book, Gut and Psychology, she writes that many scientists believe that each desert in the world was created by man. She relates this back to the terrain theory and how when we treat our guts poorly, we create a desert, which, in turn, will create disease. But when we have balance and a thriving ecosystem, every other function of the body is balanced. I believe the same can be said about the spiritual heart. There are weeds - choices such as fear, bitterness and pride - that cause the death of the thriving ecosystem and instead create a desert.
So, how do we live a life that is thriving- body, soul, and spirit?
Let’s start with the heart.
Luke 6:45, ESV - The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Restore
Just like our physical heart can be restored, so can our spiritual heart. First, we must come to the cross of Jesus and accept His gift of grace and salvation. This reconnects our union with God. Then, we can start allowing Him to chip away the junk and the excess. Through Jesus, and only through Him, are we able to hold good treasures in our hearts.
Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
Is your heart joyful? When we are broken, angry, bitter, prideful, and fearful it is impossible to be joyful. These are often signs of being held in bondage.
We know that the best way to heal is to be in a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state. We also know that when we are stuck in states of anger, fear, worry, etc. it affects the vagus nerve and blood pressure goes up, heart rate increases, and we get stuck in fight or flight. If we get stuck here too long, we will eventually go into freeze mode. This isn’t just a physical reaction. Many can relate to this from an emotional state.
It is hard to bless and curse people at the same time. When we choose to bless, we release them over to God, and we are released from carrying pain. This is actually impossible to do without the help of God. This is why in Psalms 112:6 it says: “The righteous can say they have no fear of the future.” We can only be counted as righteous, when we accept Jesus as our Savior.
We become what we behold. When we dwell on resentment, bitterness, anger, etc. Our hearts become hard and blocked. It becomes even more difficult to get the “junk” out when we have such intense blockages.
We are talking this week about heart issues and how some things, such as cholesterol, may not be what you have been led to believe. Couldn't the same be said here? The world teaches us to hold onto our anger, fills us with self-righteous thoughts and indignity. The world tells us to make others pay for what they have done, to desire justice on our terms, and to live out of a place of pride. But there is only bondage in worldly idols and desires and we become what we behold.
Hosea 10:12 - Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
In the classic book, The Secret Garden, a young, spoiled, and lonely girl, Mary, asks her uncle for a bit of earth. She wants a piece of land to plant a few seeds and create life. In order to plant seeds, though, the ground must first be broken up, the rocks cleared away, and the hardness of the soil needs to be softened to allow air to flow well. Minerals are distributed, the bare ground watered, and with some life-giving energy, and a lot of faith, the little sprouts burst from their seeds, take root, and grow.
Just as young Mary’s little bit of land begins to change, so does she, and we see a life and a garden transformed by a little tending and care. In our bodies both the physical and spiritual “soil” is the same. We must break up the hardness of the soil so that gentle life can grow. We also need a pretty big view and faith in the unseen. We cannot get discouraged when the sprouts are not visible. Something is happening under the ground. But, if we neglect the garden, if we do not take the time to clear away the weeds and the rocks, the sprouts will get choked out as fast as they grow.
My son often says “slow and steady wins the race.” And any gardener knows this is nature's way, as well. In a world that is always in a hurry for change and instant gratification, the growing garden requires patience and persistence. The wait allows us time to take a breath. The work can be tiresome, but cling to the hope that something is shifting in the soil.
Luke 12:34 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Not sure where your heart is? Ask yourself: what do I treasure?
Are you treasuring community and people? Or are you walled off and holding onto bitterness, fear, and pride? Sometimes we hold these like treasures we have won, prizes to be put on a shelf to display to others.
But hoarding these isolating treasures keeps us from relationship and fellowship. We were created to do life together, like “fellows in a ship.” Just like the synchronization of a momma’s and her baby’s heartbeat, we were created for connection. To have our hearts beat to the same rhythm of worship, break for the same sins, and be filled with the same joy as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Where there are places of fear, stress, anxiety, unforgiveness and bitterness toward others, or towards yourself, it will be hard to fully heal. Just as in the physical we know healing takes time, give yourself grace and patience to heal in this area, also. Slow and steady.
We must first start by examining our hearts and asking: Are we in right standing with God?
John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Are there “heart” roots within the terrain that you need to address? Begin with forgiveness and then blessing those who have hurt you.
Then walk in humility - not in a false sense of pride. Healing requires effort, yes, but the transforming power is from God only. It can be tempting to look around and think, “I am so glad I am not like that person…” or “At least I’m not as bad as…” But as we heal, instead take to your knees and serve. In humility, wash the feet of those around you still walking in pain and shame. The King of Kings came to serve and not to be served, and from our abundance of blessing, not duty, we are called to do the same.
We are someone else’s “fellows in the ship” and when we are thriving, we have the privilege of running after the hearts of those we love.
Running after the hearts of others is to share - to sustain- from the table of abundance. Just as the overflow of abundance speaks, we have the ability to speak life or death into the lives of others. When our hearts are desert soil, we often find ourselves speaking words that only bring more death. It is only out of the abundance of our hearts that we are able to speak life into others.
When we walk in this whole, life-giving heart posture, we can remain steadfast. Like the man who built his house on the rock and not on the sand, we will be able to say, “I have no fear of the future, for I know where my trust lies.”
John 15:5 -
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Recommended books & Resources:
Sally Clarkson (almost any of them)
Humble Roots - Hannah Anderson
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