Guarded Hearts

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, the heart is on display. Walk into your local Target, Walmart, or grocery store and you will see all the hearts your heart can handle. Heart-shaped candy boxes, candies, and candles, hearts on blankets, coffee mugs and Kleenex, hearts in cereals, flowers and pop-up cards. 

So wth all these Valentine displays, I have the heart on my mind. Recently so did my women’s Bible study group. Going though the book of Proverbs, we focused the night’s discussion on Solomon’s words, “Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life” (Prov 4:23). If you grew up in the church like I did, you likely heard this text in reference to dating relationships. Youth pastors warned that failure to protect our heart would result in bad relationships, heartache and sexual sin. Even just the other day a date and I were talking about how he was taught to guard a girl’s heart in his dating relationships. While this certainly is wise application, we miss much if limit this verse to dating. 

In the Bible, the heart represents the center of our being, our will, desires, and emotions. Solomon knew then that whatever influences and fills our hearts determines the course of our lives. If we allow the things of the world, our flesh, or lies into our hearts, this then will take us down paths of failure, confusion, sin, separation, and death. In contrast, if we ensure our hearts are filled with wisdom (Prov 2:2; 4:4, 5), truth (3:3), kindness (3:3), justice (8:20), and whole-hearted trust in the LORD (3:5, 6), we will walk down the path of life, finding joy, meaning, and the pleasure of God. 

So how can we practically protect our hearts from our flesh, the world, and the father of lies? While there are certainly a variety of ways to keep guard, paying attention to our words, both the ones we speak and the ones we think, proves paramount. Jesus says, “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart“ (Matt 12:34). He says to us, if you want an idea of what’s streaming into your heart, listen to your speech. Have your words been filled with kindness or sarcasm? Encouragement or criticism? Hostility or invitation? Joy or complaining? Hope or defeat? What we hear reveals either the treasure or trash in our hearts (Matt 12:35).

If the words we speak seem out of sync with the gospel and character of Jesus, there’s a good chance we need to examine the words we think. Our thoughts either pollute or purify the waters of our heart, flowing into everything from our attitudes to our beliefs to our decisions. No wonder the New Testament author, Paul, places so much emphasis on our thoughts. For instance, to the church at Corinth he writes, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Like a watchman he stands guard ready to capture anything and everything contrary to the gospel and the hope we have in Christ. 

We must then get in the habit of stopping the flow of negative, deceptive and tainted thoughts by changing course. As Paul further writes, we should direct our thoughts instead to “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise” (Phil 4:8). That is, we need to focus our thinking on all that God is for us and has given us in Jesus. Are your thoughts flowing with self condemnation? Switch streams and ruminate on God's grace. Are they despairing? Think on God’s promises and your future inheritance in Christ. Is your mind flooded with worry? Meditate on the truth of Matt 6:25-34.

So this Valentine’s let’s put our own hearts on display. As Solomon encourages us, let’s take his words to heart (Prov 3:1) and practice guarding them. Like a conscientious watchman, examine closely what you’re letting in your heart and what’s flowing out. Take captive those thoughts contrary to the gospel and character of God and pour in the truth of His Word. As we let the person of Christ—His words, HIs grace, HIs promises, HIs love, His life—flood our minds, our hearts will overflow into springs of freedom, healing, and transformation.

Lifting Our Gaze This Week: Ideas for Application

💘Ask the Spirit to remind you of the truth that our mouth speaks from that which fills our heart and that our thoughts influence the direction of our hearts. Pray for understanding and the power to live according to the new heart you've been given in Christ (Col 1:29, 2 Cor 5:17).

💘Listen to your speech. If you need help remembering to do this, write Matt 12:34 on the bathroom mirror or on an index card and put you in car. Hear the tone, content and feelings of your words. Consider asking family members, close friends, or your small group to share what they most hear coming from your lips. Don't fall into condemnation (Rom 8:1), but ponder the grace of God when your speech wanders from the gospel and person of Jesus. Celebrate His work in your heart when you hear words that reflect Him. 

💘Take captive wayward thoughts. We don't capture thoughts by focusing on them, but by replacing them with truth. Jot down the thoughts or themes of your thoughts you want to change. Think of how Jesus lived out what you want to change. For example, if you have judgmental thoughts toward the poor, think of how Jesus praised the woman who gave a penny (Luke 21:1-4) or the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-25). Also use your knowledge of Scripture, the concordance in the back of your Bible or www.blueletterbible.org to help you find verses to replace lies with truth relevant to your specific thoughts.

💘Listen to David Crowder's, "Here's My Heart." Prayerfully, reflectively ponder the lyrics. What resonates with you? What quiets you? What truths refocus you?

💘Look up and meditate on the following verses regarding the heart: Deut 6:5, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 51:10, Luke 6:45, Eph 1:18, 19a

A Strong Tower

Imagine you find yourself outside in the woods during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes the sky, thunder echoes around, rain pounds the ground you step on. You desperately want shelter, a safe place to protect you from the tempestuous elements.

Like getting caught outside in a thunderstorm, life circumstances can sometimes leave us feeling afraid, anxious, alone. I feel this way as I help my mom during her chemotherapy treatment. As I write this she has not had a good week. Many days she has barely made it out of bed and to the couch. She fights to get food in as she wrestles with waves of nausea and dizziness. As I assist her I feel helpless. I cannot do what I most want which is to heal her and make this cancerous storm go away. I feel unsure about what the future holds. Is there something more I can do to help? Will this chemo work? Can she handle another round? 

All of this has left me feeling spent. Perhaps you too feel worn, worried or wearied by life events. Maybe like me you have a loved one fighting an illness such as cancer. Or maybe your marriage is breaking, or your child is struggling and you're unsure how to help, or you suffer from chronic pain and yearn for relief. Whatever present storms of life we may be enduring, there is a place we can take refuge.

Perfectly timed by God, this week I came across these words of Solomon, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe” (Prov 18:10). That is, they draw strength and comfort from the person of God, from His personal, intimate, loyal love. Often when I’m worn out from life events I long to have strong arms to collapse into, for someone to embrace me with safety, protection and a place I can rest. This is the idea of running into the strong tower that is God.

Perhaps, like me, though you wonder what it looks like to seek shelter in the unseen God. The psalmist David gives us insight when he writes, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps 62:8). We make God our hiding place when we, in great trust, cry out to Him, emptying our burdens in prayer.

I think of Hannah who so poured out her heart to God that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk (1 Sam 1:9-15). Hannah longed to have a child, but was barren. Though she had a wonderful husband, her greatest desire went unfulfilled, while her rival, her husband’s other wife, bore child after child. So she went to God in prayer and let herself fall apart in His presence. With her whole being she pleaded with God, desperate, weeping before Him.

In Hannah’s storm of childlessness, God was her strong tower. He can be ours too. Whether your storm is also an unfulfilled longing, or financial uncertainty, an illness, a tough job situation, a prodigal child, or a broken marriage, pour out your heart to Him. Tell Him all, the fear, the worry, the confusion, the disappointment, the frustration. Finding refuge in God doesn’t necessarily mean the turbulent conditions will stop. But it does mean we have a safe place to hide throughout the storm.

Lifting Our Gaze This Week: Ideas For Application

• Get time alone with God and let Him know all that is on your heart. Don’t hold back. Share what worries you, scares you, angers you, burdens you, consumes you. If you’re unsure of all that is in on your heart, try journaling first, writing down all the emotions you feel or issues you're facing. Choose one you want to start with and go from there.
• Pick a song that really draws you to the presence of God. Reflectively listen to it, allowing the words to reach down to your heart, lifting your eyes upward to Jesus. Here are a few that move me to rest and worship:  
• This We Know
• Sinking Deep
• Until These Tears Are Gone
• You Hold It All Together
• Path of Sorrow
• Look up and meditate on the following texts that discuss God as our strong tower and refuge.
• Psalm 18
• Psalm 42
• Psalm 46
• Matthew 11:28-30
• John 16:33
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
• 1 Peter 5:7

The Heart of Forgiveness: Forgiving With Joy

When someone wrongs me, whether it’s something slight like a driver cutting me off in traffic or something severe like a break in relationship, I want back what was taken. I don’t naturally enjoy forgiving people. I often would rather not show mercy at all. I want back my pride, the ease of friendship, a good reputation, the opportunity to succeed, the promise of love. And often I would like a little interest too, like a dinner, flowers, a kind note of apology.

When I pause and read what I’ve just written, I don’t like it. I wish I had written, “I love to forgive! Cut me off in traffic, and I will bless you! I overflow with grace!” Instead I struggle to set people free who owe me, especially if the debt is deep. I feel the pull between the old me who demands retribution and the new me who longs to love like God.

And I don’t think I’m alone. I think all of us, as broken humanity, struggle to have a heart that actually delights to forgive. Who wants to joyfully grant grace to the parent who was never there? Or the co-worker who betrayed you? The husband who left? The friend who turned on you? The prodigal child who ran away? While we may know we ought to forgive, our hearts seem to resist doing so.

Even Peter, a disciple of Jesus, felt something similar. Having heard Jesus previously teach that he should forgive he presses Him asking, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times” (Matt 18:21)? Surely there is a limit, and Peter wants to know exactly how many times he has to forgive. 

While Peter probably assumed the number seven was gracious, Jesus responds, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt 18:22). In answering this way, Jesus unveils Peter’s heart. He reveals that Peter’s motive to forgive is not love but duty. 

With His response Jesus contrasts Peter’s stingy heart with God’s gracious heart. Unlike us, God does delight to forgive. Paul writes “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col 1:19, 20b). Pardoning those who wronged Him brings God joy. And, as His children, He desires that we have hearts like His that don’t find forgiveness a burdensome task but a joyful opportunity (Eph 4:32). 

But this does not make forgiveness easy or painless. Though God delighted to forgive us, the rebel race of image bearers, doing so cost Him. He would never experience Adam and Eve choosing Him instead of the fruit. He would never get back all the times you and I could have reflected His glory but chose our own instead. In deciding to forgive us, God bore the loss and paid the payment for our sins through the death of His Son (Col 2:13, 14). This is a cost greater than we will ever know.

And it is because Jesus has borne the sin of the world, paying off not only our debt but the debt of those who wronged us, we can move toward others with mercy. But we know our hearts. We know the pain of being overlooked, left out, ignored, betrayed, abandoned. And it just doesn’t feel right to grant mercy when we have hurt like that. Something, perhaps, we should do, but definitely not what we want to do. So how can we develop a heart that, like our gracious God, wants to forgive those who have wronged us? 

While there are certainly other practices we can and should employ, I believe we ought to begin with prayer. Think of someone who has wronged you in some way, whether a neighbor, friend, colleague, boss, family member, and practice praying the following: 

• Pray for a heart that delights in forgiving (Ezek 36:26). It is our hearts that desperately need changing, for it is from our hearts our motives and actions flow.
• Pray for the person who wronged you, hurt you, stole from you (Matt 5:44). Don’t just pray for revenge, but try interceding for them as you would a friend. 
• Pray and meditate on the great mercy God had on you. Ponder the depth of your sin and the extent to which God has shown you grace. For those who are forgiven much love much (Lk 7:47).

Think now of how our families would be impacted if we happily gave grace for the joy of restored relationship. Or how our work places might be impacted if we willingly let go of grudges. Or how marriages might strengthen with such security in mercy. Imagine what kind of light Christians could shine if we become people who delight to forgive.

Switching Hopes

If you want to read a book of the Bible that promises health and wealth and everything else, don’t read 1 Peter. It wouldn’t surprise me if prosperity gospel preachers have torn this book from their Bibles. See, Peter writes to struggling and stressed believers to encourage them, but he does so in a way we might not think.

First, let me ask you something. When you encounter unpleasant circumstances in your life, what sort of encouragement or advice do you receive? To pray more? Read Scripture? Get busy doing other things? In my dark times, I’ve been comforted through all these. And they are right and good ways to offer support. The Bible tells us we ought to seek God’s help, to trust His promises, and busy ourselves with kingdom work.

But as I read Peter’s first letter to these suffering Christians, “distressed by various trials” (1:6), I find a different sort of encouragement. Like we experience, these hardships may have included sickness, broken relationships, financial insecurity, unfulfilled longings, persecution, family discord, natural disasters. So does Peter admonish them to start praying that God will deliver them and bring a blessing instead? Does he quote Jeremiah 29:11 and tell them God has something better just around the corner? Not exactly. Instead he focuses his readers on something else altogether.

Throughout his letter, Peter urges believers to change hopes. That is, he wants them to cease focusing on their circumstances on earth, merely longing for better things here. He exhorts them, saying, “fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:13). No longer zooming in on the temporary distressing events, they should direct their gaze toward the eternal inheritance to come, that “which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1:4).

It is possible then to experience lasting joy throughout singleness, sickness, divorce, chronic pain, joblessness. But we must shift focus, from the momentary to the lasting, from the broken to the renewed, from the present grief to the future glory. And as we do, this switching of hopes will not only provide strength to endure, but will continually fill us with great joy, strengthen and refine our faith, and enable us to love more deeply.

So in the midst of hardship keep praying, hold fast to God’s Word, and do good deeds, all the while letting your heart hope in your future inheritance. Let your thoughts run wild wondering what heaven will look like, what you will feel in the physical presence of Jesus, and to know you will never again experience any form of stress or sin or sorrow. For we most assuredly will one day see our Savior face to face (Rev 21:3, 22:4) and dwell in a land where “there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain” (Rev 21:4).

Lifting Our Gaze This Week: Ideas for Application

• Read Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven in which he examines what the Bible has to say about the topic and dreams about what it might look like. Or consider picking up his devotional, 50 Days of Heaven: Reflections That Bring Eternity To Light.
• Look up and meditate on the following Bible verses discussing our inheritance: Isaiah 60:18-22, Ezekiel 36:33-36, John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:8, Revelation 21-22.
• Journal about what you think heaven will be like. Talk with God about what you’re looking forward to, unsure of, curious about. Jot down what you’re most excited about doing, seeing, experiencing. 

Unless I Had Believed

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."

 ~Psalm 27:13 

Life is hard. Cars break down. Tornadoes rip through towns. Friends let us down. Children rebel. Marriages fall apart. Singleness lingers. Dreams shatter.

Sometimes life overwhelms us so much that we feel on the verge of despair. Getting out of bed in the morning proves challenging. We find it pointless. We know nothing will have changed. We convince ourselves we know what to expect: disappointment and more disappointment. We know things will fail to go the way we want. Instead, we will face challenges, stress, and pain.

So why listen to the alarm clock? Getting out of bed is a sign of hope, a sign that perhaps today will be different, and we know it won’t be. We echo Solomon’s assessment that there is nothing new under the sun and all is meaningless (Eccl 2:11, 12).

We are not alone in our struggle. In Psalm 27, David expresses that given his circumstances he too could have easily fallen into despair. And who could blame him? Evil men sought to devour his soul (v.2), a war waged against him (v.3), and his family had abandoned him (v.10). So why didn’t he give in to despondency? How did he find the strength to persevere?

David recognized he had two options: trust in God or fall into despair. There was no in between. When we stop believing that God will show up in our lives, hopelessness is sure to follow.

So David set his heart to believe that he would again see God’s goodness. In other psalms we catch a glimpse of how and why David chooses to believe: his memories and God’s unchanging character. For instance, during a time in the wilderness David writes, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy” (Ps 63:6, 7, emphasis added). Times of depression then involve not merely a struggle to hope, but a battle to remember.

David is not the only biblical character to recollect on God’s past faithfulness. Throughout Scripture, God’s people constantly remind each other of who God is. Why? Because God never changes. If He delivered in the past then they could count on Him to deliver again. For example, Jeremiah in the midst of grieving the destruction of Jerusalem comforts himself by remembering who God is, that His mercies are indeed new every morning (Lam 3).

God does not, will not and cannot change. If He was Savior yesterday, He is Savior today. If He was mighty in the wilderness, He is mighty in the office place. If He was provider in the desert, He is provider in the loneliness. If He was healer in Bethsaida, He is healer in Atlanta. If He was restorer then, He is restorer now.

So if we find ourselves cynical, bitter, or depressed chances are we need reminding of who God is. Let’s study the stories of old, given for our encouragement (Rom 15:4). Invite friends to share about God’s provision in their lives. Reflect on God’s previous works in your own life. Let’s replay God’s love and faithfulness in action.

Finally, speak to your own soul. Exhort it to hope in God, just like the psalmist said, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Ps 42:5).

With David, let’s rest our future, our every day, our every morning, on God’s proven, unchanging character. For as we do we can roll out of bed with confident expectation, knowing that perhaps today is the day we "will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."

Lessons Learned From A Waterslide

It’s summertime and that means it’s time for water-parks. So recently I ventured with my niece, nephew, and sister-in-law to White Water.

Our afternoon of family fun moved along with lots of laughing, splashing, and playing in the sun. That is, until I found myself waiting in a line in which the rides to my left and right looked like pipelines surrounded by heavy concrete. While this type of a waterslide was a favorite as a child, I no longer felt drawn to sliding down a tube in utter darkness. To this recovering control-freak, no thank you.

My sister-in-law seemed to notice at the same time. Would this ride be alright for me she wondered. What could I do? The line crowded in behind me closing off any escape. Plus, I wanted my niece and nephew to know that I am in fact a very cool aunt. So while inside a slow panic started erupting, I responded, “Yeah, sure. Besides it looks like only a small part of the ride is enclosed fully.” And then I started praying.

After my anxiety had ample time to swell in line, we finally reached the top. Armed with a double-tube, my excited nephew claimed me for his partner and we begin “boarding” our tube. The ride felt fun the first few seconds. Then the tunnel appeared.

Before I knew it darkness encompassed me. My heart rate quickened. Panic coursed throughout my body. My breathing all but stopped. How long will this uncertainty last? I felt us moving but had no idea where. Would there be a big drop? Would we curve? Would we be in here forever?

Finally light appeared and my whole body relaxed. Just as I felt pleased that I braved my fears, my niece ran up to me and shouted, “That was awesome! Let’s do it again, and this time I get to ride with you!” People really will do anything for the kids they love because I braved the darkness once again. And the second time wasn’t nearly as bad.

Later as I described my experience to a friend, a light dawned in my heart. I realized how this ride exemplified my walk with God in the midst of my present circumstances.

I don’t know the future. I can’t see the next steps. A current pulls me along that I’m unable to maneuver. I have no control. I feel stressed, worried, anxious. I struggle to trust in God’s provision as Jesus promised (Matt 6:25–34).

Yet I hear God whisper, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you” (Is 43:2). He promises to walk with us through, and not necessarily deliver us from, the raging rivers. His presence then is our hope.

Instead of seeking deliverance from darkness, God invites me to lean into the arms of comfort already present. Think of movie scenes in which people suddenly find themselves in an unlit, creepy house at midnight. They usually step toward, and even grab the arm, of the person with them. Dark places, as such, seem to lend themselves to drawing us closer to those around us.

Perhaps you too find yourself in similar times. You need answers but only have questions. You seek direction but get more turned-around. You look for relief but only feel more grief. You long for love but feel lonely. You crave strength but can barely stand.

In the shadowy moments, God offers Himself. Besides that’s what life is, knowing Jesus and His Father (John 17:3). That’s why the disciples constantly experienced joy in the midst of trials, heartache, persecution. They focused on drawing close to Christ. When He’s our passion, the twists and turns of life offer a new joy.

So in our confusion, pain, doubt we can move toward the Person present with us. To the One of whom David writes, “Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You” (Ps 139:12).

Who is Louie, Matt or Francis?

I love Passion City Church. I have followed Louie Giglio for years and when he started a church in Atlanta, I knew that would be my home church. The music is incredible. The speaking passionate and empowering. The worshippers engaged and sold out for Jesus.

So too I am a huge fan of Matt Chandler. Not only am I drawn to his teaching style, the depth of wisdom and the grace of Christ revealed, but I’m inspired by how he responded to his cancer diagnosis. Though I have never met him, I am often reminded of his humble, God-fearing, God-honoring response. It helps me battle my own bouts of bitterness.

And I was first introduced to Francis Chan when a friend sent me a book of his. After reading it, I heard his preaching for the first time, and I was immediately drawn in. His passion, his humor, his vulnerability all drew me, along with many others, to listen and eagerly seek out more of his talks.

Tim Keller is another well-known pastor and author who strengthens my faith. I am drawn to his gospel-centered approach to, not only his teaching, but all of life. The gospel changes everything; Keller helps me understand how.

And how can I forget Beth Moore? I’ve completed almost all of her Bible studies and read many of her books. I love her speaking style, her devotion to Christ, her down-to-earth way of teaching.

So it’s not uncommon for you to hear me throw these names, along with others, around. I often suggest listening to a Matt or Louie sermon. I recommend Beth’s Bible studies. I encourage New Yorkers to attend Keller’s church. I boast how a Francis Chan talk has started to change my life.

But the other day I began to wonder if I, along with others, have begun to cross a line in our praise for these men and women of God. At times our conversations even seem to turn into a type of competition for who is a better teacher, speaker, author, or overall communicator. It's as if we pit our super-hero (of the faith) against our friend's super-hero and see who is stronger. Thinking of this, I was reminded of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth, “For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one” (I Cor 3:4, 5).

The reason I am drawn to Louie, Matt, and Beth ultimately has nothing to do with them. Don’t get me wrong. I think they are talented, gifted, graced individuals. But they are not the end. Jesus is. Jesus saves. Jesus heals. Jesus restores. His Spirit empowers. His Spirit transforms. His Spirit moves in our hearts. So it’s not Francis Chan’s talk that is changing my life; it’s the Spirit of Christ in me who is.

While I know we would not intentionally put these men and women in the place of God, if we aren’t on guard as we sing their praises, I wonder if our hearts could elevate them to idol status. I wonder if it could be possible to adore the servant instead of the Savior.

So as we rejoice in their gifts and gladly receive what the Spirit has given them for the building up of the Church, may we ever be mindful that it is not the one who plants nor the one who waters who is anything but God who moves in grace (I Cor 3:7). As Paul summarizes, “So then let no on boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God” (I Cor 3:21-23).