How is the heart?

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

 

Just as water reflects the face, so the heart reflects our life. We can see our exact representation in the mirror or in a photo. It can be quite humbling, especially when we’ve added a few pounds! So, in what ways does our life reflect what’s in our heart? A driven life reflects a self-reliant heart, never satisfied, always on the move to reach the next goal. It rarely rests and it eventually wears out. A fearful life is a heart emptied of hope. Its lost initiative languishes in the inertia of self-pity. But a life of love has a heart full of faith. Its face radiates joy and peace.

 

How can we keep our heart healthy? We can guard it from unseemly influences. For example, a manipulative person may jab at our heart with words of guilt. “You always help others, but you are never concerned about me.” “You claim to be a Christian, but you lived an immoral life in the past.” First of all, consider the source of the criticism. Wounded people wound people. Instead of acting defensively, pray for them and love them, in spite of their insensitive, inaccurate and unfair remarks. We keep our heart healthy by not internalizing half truths from hurtful hearts.

 

Furthermore, we develop emotional wholeness by growing our heart in God’s grace. A heart full of grace has no room for unrighteous outrage or obsessive worry. Grace allows us to feel our feelings, so we are self aware regarding our emotional condition. Grace governs our responses so they are redemptive not regretful. Humility opens our hearts to receive God’s grace, so we can extend grace. Grace says we can when circumstances say we can’t. Grace forgives when a grudge gets back. Grace gets to the heart of the matter. It reveals who we are and who we need to become.

Make today a day of Impact for the Kingdom.
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Pastor Todd A. Brown
First Baptist of Chesterbrook
1740 Kirby Rd.  Mclean Va. 22101

Give to the ministry by donating at www.fbcc-va.org

Vision:" Disciples Making a Kingdom Impact"

Mission: Exalting, Evangelizing, Equipping, and Encouraging every soul in Christ

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