Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23
A number of years back my dad went through a very difficult time with his health. His heart had been a problem on and off for a number of years, but all of a sudden it was becoming obvious that his life was in danger. Ever since then I have been awakened to the realities of heart disease and how it subtly moves into our lives to rob us & to potentially take from us those we love and care about.
Until that time, I did not really think a whole lot about the heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t care, it just was not something I was forced to look at. However, when all of a sudden, I was faced with the reality that without surgery I may not have my dad with me much longer. I began to stand at attention.
He had the surgery and it was a success thank the Lord.
I often wonder about my own heart now, but to be honest, it is not my physical heart that I worry about. It is my heart for the Lord. You see, I learned a lot about the heart though dad’s disease, but I believe there are so many spiritual parallels that we can apply if are willing to look deeper.
There are probably a countless number of things which can contribute to heart disease, but the three that stand out over and over again in the natural are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and poor exercise habits.
High cholesterol will contribute to the build up of fatty deposits on the arteries. That build up interrupts the blood flow and oxygen to your heart. Cholesterol is controlled by what we eat. Diets high in fat are considered a dangerous lifestyle. I want nothing in my life to block up or hinder my heart from being all that God desires for it to be. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they God will see.” I want to live a life that causes the eye of the Lord to be looking at me. How can I do this when it comes to my heart spiritually? Well, practically speaking I need to watch my spiritual diet. I realize this is not popular advice in our society, but necessary regardless. I cannot be feeding my spirit man a bunch of junk food & an unhealthy spiritual diet and expect that there are no negative consequences. I must choose to set a standard for my life to feed upon Truth. I must not be willing to settle for that which really does not satisfy anyway. So often we buy into that lie and think, it taste so good. We embrace the mentality that says, “I only want to eat what taste good” & we are willing to do that even if it will kill us. Something needs to change in our response to this. We need to embrace that which empowers us, that which truly nurtures us, that which keeps us in a place of having a heart that pleases him. There are some things that do not taste good at the moment, but the result of having eaten them are that they bring life. We need to be willing to feed up His Word & be much more vigilant in resisting that which brings destruction to our lives.
Exercise is another factor that is characterized when dealing with the heart. Studies indicate that people who make it a part of their regular lifestyle will reduce the risk of heart disease. Recently, I wrote an article on the need to apply the Word to our lives. I am going to go there again. I believe spiritual exercise is the appropriation of the Word in our lives. It is not just enough to hear the Word, we must be doers of it as well. I can sit and listen to sermons week after week, but the message is only going to make a difference in my life when I walk it out and apply it to my situation, to my life, to my journey. The Word is personal because God is a personal God. He desires that we develop spiritual muscle through allowing his Word to be exercised in our lives. Regular exercise in the natural keeps things pumping and flowing properly. Appropriation of the Word in our lives keeps the heart clean & pure before Him. Thus, allowing the Word to address and expose anything in us that could block up that flow & deal with it immediately.
Lastly is the Blood Pressure, which I find very interesting. One of the strong influences of a rise in blood pressure is worry or anxiety (I realize that is not the only thing, but it does influence it). I believe the Word tells us not to worry, but to cast our cares upon Him. Studies have also come to realize that blood pressure can be controlled by diet & exercise. I love that. Everything we have just covered when carried out in our lives addresses this issue. If I am feeding upon Truth & appropriating that Word in my life then naturally I will let him worry about the things I cannot change. I will not live in fear & worry, but will be in peace. My spiritual pressure will not rise because everything will be working the way that it should be. Clear flow to the heart. Unblocked & full of life. A life pumping and beating the very life of Christ.
I choose this day to feed upon Truth, even when it isn’t what everyone else is doing.
I choose this day to appropriate the Word in my life & let the Word change me.
I choose this day to trust in a Faithful God to handle the challenges of the day, to rest in him & receive His peace.
I long to be one who has the attention of heaven because he found purity within.
