Check your heart

We recently watched a program on TV about the inner workings of the human heart.  Fascinating stuff to view and amazing that such documentation is possible. I was especially intrigued because not long ago I had a routine visit to the doctor for what I call a warrant of fitness so this visual information made much more sense of what medical tests are designed to look for. 

Along with natural physical reactions and stresses on our human frame we also endure emotional and spiritual stresses which take a huge toll physically if left unchecked. Recent events have prompted me to check my emotional and mental attitudes and, on a deeper level, to see what may be residing in the inner workings of my heart. 

We know how to check for messages on a cell phone perhaps when waking in the morning, or before going to sleep, open emails, clear the letter box of old-fashioned postie delivered mail but do we know how to check our heart? Perhaps we could liken it to checking the fuel gauge in the car or the pressure in the tyres, the level of oil or brake fluid, tools you need to work with, or equipment you use for sport and recreation. It is imperative to check our heart daily so the incoming chaos and poison of the external, fallen world around us is filtered, and to top up the lubrication, pump some air in the tyres or refill the water tank by spending time aside from the madding crowd to deal with issues we tend to lightly skim over.

We may think or even be fully persuaded that our hearts and motives are in a surrendered state, saturated in love flowing from the Author of Love, but when did we last check that it really was in alignment with His will so we can be confident that His is the Voice we are following?  The tactics of the enemy are vast, the strategies are cunning plans laid to captivate, to lure away, derail and to deceive.

In the heart are many chambers where lint and grains of discontent can lie dormant until something comes against us that awakens our innermost response. It can come as a shocking revelation when our behaviour manifests in ways we believed were eradicated from being placed under the cleansing Blood of the Lamb; where old reactive habits surface from repressed emotion resulting in impatience, seething anger, violence, hateful language or lust pouring forth with deadly venom. The catalyst trigger may not be anything of much importance, indeed even something casually tolerated or deliberately dismissed but built up over a period of time, until we find ourselves in danger of becoming explosive and destructive. Rather than manifesting the optimum of a peace filled, patient person we’ve been seriously cultivating by mortifying the old nature for Father to heal and change, we erupt uncontrollably like a volcano, with damaging fall out. 

I admit occasionally I have been pleasantly surprised to find I have responded calmly with wisdom and authority and love where previously I may have reacted much differently, but then I become completely devastated when old ways return, shattering my serenity and confidence.  As well I come under the burden of condemnation, mainly from my self talk although the dark one is in there, like Flynn, sticking it to me as much as possible and causing an immense weight of pity, shame and embarrassment. 

When my heart is left untended to meander mindlessly through daily life without checking it (at the Throne of Mercy and Grace) I can be blissfully unaware of the build up like creosote or soot in a chimney clogging the valves, even intruding into other organs nearby, constricting the flow of Living Water so my whole being is thrown out of sync, needing stiff bristles of a brush to cleanse and renew under the deft Hand of the Chief Sweeper. 

Little things can fester and become serious blockages - i.e. regret over choices made which in hindsight we may chose differently; dwelling on past failures until they are disproportionate in our memory banks and hinder our ability to take risks; seeing others gain from delays in our decision making processes; small or large things that lead toward resentment, which unattended blooms into bitterness and eventually, putrifying into hatred, which is Murder.  Misplaced loyalty, anything stemming from pride, resulting in envy, growing into jealousy and harmful judgement can be spilled out in the open when circumstances are primed to have us react and reveal what has lain buried in the heart.

JESUS said “For from within, [that is] out of the hearts of men, come base and wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, Coveting (a greedy desire to have more wealth), dangerous and destructive wickedness, deceit;[i]unrestrained (indecent) conduct; an evil eye (envy), slander (evil speaking, malicious misrepresentation, abusiveness), pride ([j]the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man), foolishness (folly, lack of sense, recklessness, thoughtlessness).”

Mark 7:21-23

If we are not in relationship with Him, how will we know if our heart valves are blocked. We may be in desperate need of open heart surgery.  In and of my self, I can do nothing about those grains of filth that hide and fester in recesses beyond human detection. Ultimately that keeps me humble and dependent on Father, but I have a responsibility to seriously search my heart while turning to be reconciled with Abba, to enable my life to resume the production of good, healthy fruit of the Spirit, not displaying rotten decaying fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and death. 

I come to Jesus asking for His Light to pour in to illuminate any poison and once aware, confess my shortcoming so His Blood flows pure and freely cleansing and unblocking. His ermine robe of righteousness is what I wear, not humanistic philosophy or ability so instead of succumbing to condemnation, I bring the state of my heart to Father and on purpose choose to practice honest, genuine forgiveness toward myself, toward others and toward things that I have been threatened by. Then I am on the way to being an overcomer of all those little foxes that threaten to destroy my heart. 

By daily keeping short account, living a surrendered life of servanthood, cleaving to Him and putting His desires ahead of mine, remaining teachable as His disciple, praying unceasingly over all manner of everyday things, letting Him be involved in my heart attitude toward all relationships, pursuing my Beloved’s intimate Presence rather than keeping Him at arms length for a once-a-week formal encounter, do I enter a place of safety and rest in confident assurance that He will keep me from my own folly.

It’s not hard to be with the One you love when He loves you so absolutely.

How is your heart?