I have been thinking a lot about my heart lately for several reasons. The most obvious is that when we think of February, we think of Valentine’s Day. Also, I have an echo-cardiogram and stress test on Valentine’s Day (very fitting, I think!), I became an exercise coach recently and our church has been focusing on discipleship this year.
All of these events have me appreciating the different aspects of our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts above all else, for everything you do flows from it.
I know that Valentine’s Day is a source of joy for some and bitter disappointment for others.
Oswald Chambers says: The only person that can satisfy the aching abyss of the human heart is Jesus Christ.
Don’t you love this? In everything that Valentine’s Day tries to achieve; all love, always, comes down to the fact that only Christ can satisfy what we are looking for. Whether one is in a happy relationship, a relationship that is struggling or is not in a relationship at all is irrelevant when we strive to find love. Only Christ can fill those aches deep inside of us. I pray for those of you who struggle on this one day of the year; that you will find solace, peace and a sweet joy in knowing that Christ is our ultimate Valentine, we are His bride!
I have a small heart condition. I have been under the care of a cardiologist for 9 years. Each year I have to do a stress test and echocardiogram to make sure it’s not progressing. I have always loved to work out ~ over the years, I have taught aerobics, been very interested in nutrition and very recently became a coach to come along side of women in their journey to become healthy. I take care of my physical heart because I want to be around to tell others about my spiritual heartbeat: my Lord and Savior, my sustainer, my friend, my everything, Jesus Christ.
This brings me to the word discipleship. As I stated before, our church is focusing on what it means to be a disciple, how we come along side of others to disciple them, how to be open to being discipled.
We are called to “go and make disciples of every nation” Matthew 28:19. How do we do this? We disciple others by how we live our lives. We are all disciples in the making. As we are being sanctified, we are going deeper in Christ, becoming more like Him, getting closer to the heartbeat of who He is and then following in those precepts.
As we live and grow and have our being in Him (Act 17:28) others are watching us. Whether or not we are coming alongside of someone who needs counsel, taking them through a bible study or intentionally setting aside time to mentor someone in their marriage, help a young mom along or are simply going about our day, others are watching. Making discipleship a priority means making room for God to bring others into your life, but it also means living our daily lives so that when others look at us, they see Christ. It means living in a way that makes others hungry for what we have in Him.
Guarding our hearts in the physical means taking care of our bodies. Guarding our hearts spiritually is to walk in a way that Christ is always glorified. My commentary for Proverbs 4:23 states: the word “heart” in Proverbs regularly refers to the center of ones’ inner life and orientation to God, from which the person does all thinking, feeling and choosing. The heart is worth guarding because out of the heart flow all the thoughts and words and choices of a person’s life.
Michah 6:8 says: And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.
Guarding our hearts; living, growing and having our being in Him, loving justice, kindness and walking humbly with our God, this is a making of a disciple. One that we can continue to grow to be and one that will draw others to us because they cannot possibly deny Christ’s love shining through us.