To live our lives with a strengthened heart, we will have to be “aware” of a few things.
First, once God saves us, a case can be built, that our hearts in Christ, are good.
I know that is controversial, and I will build that case on another blog, but I have come to conclude that once we are saved and born again, our worthless, good for nothing, sinful hearts, are yes, good.
Strange to put it that way isn’t it? But, If our hearts are bad, why are we referred to as Saints, or sons of God, or the beloved?
“There is a life that is so rich and fertile, so strong and resilient, so wise and cunning, so pure and true, so simple and clear that it will touch the world in unforgettable ways. A life of disproportionate effect. This is the life possessed by the noble heart – “those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop – a hundred times more than was sown.” Luke 8:15 & Mark 4:20
So we must start there, to increase the awareness of what is going on with the assault of our lives and our hearts, we must conclude, our hearts, once saved and ransomed and made new, are good.
If not, then when things turn ugly in relationships, why fight? Why not just turn tail and leave? I believe my band of brothers hearts are good. I know they love and value my friendship and all that I have to offer. And the same is true of them.
But, do we sometimes blow it? Yes, we feud or bicker or get under each other’s skin at times, but that’s part of being a human being. We are brothers, and family’s bicker at times. But, in the end, I deeply believe their hearts are good.
This brings me to the next topic we have to be aware of and remember constantly, or life just won’t make sense, and that is, we are at war.
I wrote about this earlier, remember there is a stream called spiritual warfare. So, we have to remember there is a villain in the story of our lives, who wants nothing more than to see us fail.
If there isn’t a villain in our stories, then how else do we explain why life can be so difficult at times.
Another issue that requires serious awareness and attention is to not make “agreements” to the false lies and accusations from the enemy.
When we receive blows to the heart, a message is strategically delivered by the enemy. And it’s usually a direct hit towards the role and story that God had in mind for you to play in your life.
Re read those last 2 sentences.
Take my life’s story for example. As a Christian, I love to lead. I enjoy expressing my heart through writing or speaking. I have written a book and also enjoy teaching others about the heart and how to deepen your walk with God.
So, how was I wounded? By my father and others. The wound was given in many ways, and the message was clear, I’m not worthy.
As a young man I agreed to satan’s lie. I believed it. So, I chased worthiness and validation in all the wrong places.
It wasn’t until I sought the wise counsel of a Christian counselor and began to study the heart, that I awoke to what was actually happening to my heart as an adult man.
But, the counsel I received brought deep clarity and in the end, deep awareness.
Today, I’m a trained warrior. But I must continue to be aware of the enemy’s attacks.
I believe Gods word when it says my heart is good. I also believe there is an enemy in my story and that we live in the middle of a love story with God, and that there is a villain in this story that wants me to fail.
I also believe that when the assaults come, and the accusations fly, today, I’m trained well enough to stand up to them, and so I don’t make agreements to the accusations and arrows that come my way.
So, to have a strengthened heart, it requires deep awareness of what is going on around us.
When you have a better understanding of this “larger story” that is going on around us, things make better sense. Clarity comes.
In law enforcement there is a phrase called “situational awareness.” It’s a phrase they use to encourage police officers to know exactly what is going on in each direction around them. They know where the exits are in a room. They know who is in the room. They are aware of their surroundings.
If they aren’t situationally aware, and they walk into a domestic dispute or a crowded bar fight, their chances of survival goes way down. So they are trained to be aware. For them it’s a matter of life or death.
For us, it’s a matter of spiritual life or death.
To live our lives in the flesh, (no awareness) brings death, but to live our lives in the spirit, (peak awareness) the book of Romans says, brings life.
I choose life. Life in and through the Spirit of Christ.
But, we must be aware and oriented with all of this at all times, to walk and live our lives with a strengthened heart.
Lastly, we must remember we are forgiven. The assault of our heart sometimes brings feelings of condemnation, or shame and guilt. This usually happens when we slip up.
I’m amazed at the lack of insight and awareness most men have around their position as a saved born again Christian. I think we sometimes doubt Gods forgiveness, or we think our sin is too big, or the sin disqualifies us.
However, the truth is, we are forgiven as far as the East is from the West! Amen! Thank God He has a short memory.
However, the awareness of this forgiven position in Christ, and the Biblical position the Bible says about our salvation is a cause for major celebration. And it’s completely free! All we have to do is believe!
But again, when we sin, the enemy is right there as the accuser. He says, see Matt, you aren’t worthy to lead or write. Who are you? Nobody wants to hear what your heart has to say!
That’s what I hear sometimes in my heart. And it’s a lie straight from the pit. At least I hope so, at least your reading this blog post!
When this attack comes, I feel condemned, and unworthy to lead. So, I’ve trained myself to be aware of my forgiven position in Christ and the war that is waging around me, and I simply press on in Christ.
I’ll get into forgiveness on another post, but it is crucial to remember how deeply we are forgiven by God. Knowing this confidently strengthens my faith and my heart and will to carry on!
So, be aware. Allow your heart the time to deeply soak in these truths. You will need to draw on these truths time and time again. They strengthen our hearts!
Matt