Articles

What's Your Heart Condition?

Brenda Myree • Spiritual Maturity
God always seems to use "real life" situations to open up a spiritual truth to me. I was recently diagnosed with a congenital heart defect which needs to be corrected immediately. The surgeon was surprised I was still alive. I believe God has preserved me for such a time as this. In preparing for open heart surgery, God started posing some questions to me regarding my "spiritual" heart condition as well as the spiritual heart condition of today's Christians in general. I pray this article will minister to you.
During the last couple of months I started to experience some physical symptoms which I, for the most part, ignored until I just happened to mention them to my doctor on a regular visit.  I ignored them because, being a believer and a praying person, I just knew if anything was wrong, God could and would heal me.  Yes, I believe in divine healing but God, in His divine wisdom worked through my doctor who is also a Christian.  I was referred to a cardiologist who performed several tests which to my surprise came back showing a serious heart defect and was told I needed immediate surgery.

 

Of course, the first thing I did was pray with my husband for God to touch my body and perform a creative miracle and give me a new heart.  God reminded me that His healing manifests in many forms.  He said that sometimes He even uses doctors.  He gives them the wisdom and skill to perform the surgery and make the necessary corrections.  He guides their hands.  I was impressed but did not want to consent to the surgery but it seemed as though God put His arms around me and I just had a peace about the whole situation like I never felt before.  No fear, just peace.

 

That being said, for the next week during my prayer and meditation time, God began to deal with me about my spiritual heart condition.  He always deals with me about me first before showing me the condition of the Body of Christ.  The Lord posed an interesting question to me which I had to not just think over but had to actually search scripture about.  Not to give God an answer as He already knew the answer.  It was for me to see what my "spiritual" heart condition was.  He asked me what was my heart towards Him, towards my brothers and sisters in Christ and my heart towards unbelievers.

 

The first scripture that came to me was Proverbs 3:5-6:

 

        5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
      And lean not on your own understanding;
       6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
      And He shall direct your paths.

 

As I meditated on this scripture some things opened up to me.  What did it mean to "trust" in the Lord with "all" my "heart"?  Strong's Hebrew 982 basically said it means to be bodly confident in, to feel safe and secure.  One word that I really liked was "refuge".  Several scriptures came to me which just reminded me that God had the situation under control.  He had me in His hands.

 

First was Ruth 2:12:  The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."    (There is healing in His wings).

2 Samuel 22:3:  The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.

Psalm 9:9:  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,A refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1:  God is our refuge and strength,A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 91:2, 4, 9:  I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;My God, in Him I will trust."  4. He shall cover you with His feathers,And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.  9.  Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,Even the Most High, your dwelling place,  and

Psalm 141:8:  But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord;In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.

 

There are, of course, many other scriptures but these just reminded me that God is my refuge, in Him is my safe place, a secure place.  I have been in these places before.  He just wanted me to know that He was still here for me, that I could trust Him.  Then God posed a another question to me.  He asked me if I trusted my husband and of course I answered yes.  I trust him because I know him.  I know his integrity and he is a man of his word.  I saw where God was going with this conversation.  He wanted me to see that I could trust Him because I knew Him.  He is His Word.  His Word is life ... it is Truth.  I can trust His Word says.  I can believe Him, being fully pursuaded and confident in Him.

 

So now, I must trust Him, take Him at His Word, with all my heart - with my whole being.. with everything that I am... with my whole heart - spirit, soul, mind, body - everything.  The next part was probably the hardest for me - and lean not on my own understanding.  Being someone who is always trying to figure things out, this was tough.  Just because I cannot figure out how this all fits into God's plan, doesn't mean it isn't part of the bigger picture.  Jesus was able to drink from the cup that was set before Him and endure the cross, not because He was looking forward to being crucified but because He saw the joy that was set before Him.  He submitted His will to that of the Father's because God had a plan, the bigger picture.  God is omniscience - all knowing.  I do not believe that God brings these things upon His children but I do believe there is a bigger picture and that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.   But I must trust Him.

 

In all my ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct ... in everything I do and I mean everything, I must acknowledge Him or ask for His wisdom and guidance, recognize Him and His presence in every situation, and He will direct me, give me wisdom, He will make my paths or direction smooth and straight, to point; to show the right road or course to take.

 

That being said, I must believe God.  Not just believe "in" God but, believe Him, take Him at His Word.  Trust Him to work everything out according to His plan and purpose.  I must make sure my heart is not just right before Him but right toward Him.



Next, I must make sure my heart is right towards my brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Am I harboring any unforgiveness toward anyone.  I had to really search my heart as I know that if I am to receive forgiveness from God I must forgive anyone who has ever said or done anything against me.  There have been many times throughout the years where I have been hurt, lied about, and much more but I had to come to the point many years ago to let it go, it was too much for me to carry.  I had to release it to God and take on His burden as His Word says to take His yoke upon me as His burden is light. 

 

1 John 2:9-11 states:  9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

 

1 John 3:10-23 says it all:  10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.  13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.  16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

 

Forgiveness of any wrong done to us is a must!  In Matthew 6:14-15 the Word says:  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Also in Mark 11:25-26 states:  [ Forgiveness and Prayer ] "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

So we must walk in love and make sure our hearts are right towards our brothers and sisters in Christ.  On thing may be of interest to some of you is that we must remember that our spouses are not just "our spouses" but if they are saved, they are also our brothers and/or sisters in Christ.  He loves them more than you do and they are precisous to Him so it is imperative that we walk in love towards our spouse.

 

Finally, what is our heart condition towards the unsaved?  I have heard many unsaved people say that Christians were the meanest people they had ever met.  This was hard to hear because, as Christians, we are to be expressing the love of God toward His creation.  God does not love sin but He loves the sinner.  We are to have the heart of God.  Too many times we are lead by prejudices against race, social status, gender and many other reasons.  But this is contrary to God's Word.

 

In James 2:1-10 it speaks of showing favor to one over another because of prejudices.

 

1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?   5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?  8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

 Matthew 5:13-16:  13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

God is about souls, increasing the Kingdom of Heaven.  Souls are Christ's inheritance.  We are to love our neighbor, saint or sinner, as ourselves.  We are living epistles read of men... what are they reading when they look at your life?  How are you representing Christ?

 

With all this being said, what is your heart condition?  Toward God, your brothers and sisters in Christ and to sinners?  No one was "born saved".  For some of us, it's time for God to perform open heart surgery to make corrections and remove defects.  God is Jehovah Rophe, the Lord our Healer.  He can make whatever corrections need to be made not only in our physical hearts but also in our spiritual hearts if we submit our wills to Him and allow His Holy Spirit to do the necessary work.

 

I pray this ministered to you and that you will allow the one and only true God into your heart today and allow Him to bring correction and healing where needed.  God Bless.

 

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