If we search the Bible for "Heart" we will find it mentioned 884 times; 724 in the Old Testament and 160 in the New Testament. It's no wonder it's an important thing to consider in our walk as the Faithful. I have come to the conclusion that the Spiritual Condition of our Hearts is directly related to the physical condition of it. More than anything, what's intrigued me about Heart Experience is Heartbreak in particular. Did you know that there is something called "Broken Heart Syndrome" that is Medically called Stress Cardiomyopathy? Considering generational curses and patterns, it's important to be curious about these things because it will unlock a lot of truths about our condition and the solutions to any relational challenges we might be grappling with. Look at these statistics according to the CDC:
Heart Disease in the United States
- About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.1
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.1
How many of those people, do you suppose, were dealing with emotional issues? Here's what I think:
If we deal with the spiritual, we can heal the physical.
Simple.
There's obviously levels to this. There are services available to you to help you level up. Take advantage of counseling. Analytical Therapy is a great way to start to bring things into awareness. Here's Step 1: Allow yourself room to be Be Vulnerable
vul·ner·a·ble
/ˈvəln(ə)rəb(ə)l/
adjective
I know, this sounds like something you shouldn't do if you're hurting because it seems counter intuitive. But the best analogy I can offer is this- major surgery requires major vulnerability. Think about it: there's anesthesia, scalpels, oxygen, nurses, doctors... and you go under. No control. No reasoning. Complete and utter surrender to the process, trust in the professionals, and MAJOR RISK to attain MAJOR HEALING.
Here's the thing, the first step in solving a problem is admitting there is one. Accepting our Vulnerability and allowing ourselves to be Vulnerable helps us to take inventory.
Heart Healing requires this process with GOD and Your Best Self.
Being Vulnerable isn't something we aim to be all the time. It's not a comfortable feeling to be exposed. This is especially difficult when we have feelings of discomfort to share. But consider this:
Just as plaque builds up in the arteries of a person with heart disease, and the inside of the arteries begins to narrow, lessening or blocking the flow of blood; so does emotional pain build up in our emotional memory, narrowing our ability to relate and connect to others and lessening or blocking the flow of Love.
The World encourages us to be "hard", "strong", "untouchable" and really, who can be these things in the context that the World presents them? We don't consider promiscuity, sexual immorality, gossip, envy, coveting, murder, stealing and things like that heart issues but they are. There is a tremendous lack of self-love in the world today. There is a general disconnect among people and within groups of people. I'm gonna keep it 100- the other day I was doing some research on the Remy-Nicki-Cardi beef and I saw a post on Cardi's IG that made me go HMM. It said, if his [ privates ] smell like soap but his feet stink, he's cheating... Her caption was, "Let me smell your feet." Now, follow my train of thought here...
What does that LOOK like? Just envision that scenario for a moment. Is that any way to live? Is that a good heart dynamic? I mean really THINK ABOUT IT! I did... it made me sad.
I know what it's like to care about a man who was not loyal to me. It's heart breaking. Not only that- allowing myself to participate in that dynamic was related to other patterns and behaviors I had accepted as normal. I had to learn what healthy love was, how it worked, and how to participate in a purer environment. I had to learn how to BE purer. I was wounded for a very long time. And those wounds took time and effort to heal. And it began with Heart Work; allowing myself to be vulnerable enough with my Self to admit what was wrong and deal with it.
Being Vulnerable is key in repairing the flow of Love in our Lives because it's impossible to take stock of our traumas without it. While learning about Abandonment Recovery through the Work of Susan Anderson, I learned some techniques that helped me heal parts of my Emotional Trauma. I encourage you to begin to explore the secret chambers of your heart and start clearing out the memories that no longer serve you. I also encourage you to take a listen to this TEDTalk and see if it helps you gain any insight into your experience. Also, there is a section in the Side Bar for Heart and Mind Renewal. Take a look at the other videos available there and see if they help give you an even better understanding of the lessons within your experiences.
It's not easy to face these things but I promise you, it's worth it.
Here are some of my favorite Heart Scriptures, in various translations, for you to remember on your way:
Proverbs 4:23
New International Version
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
New Living Translation
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
English Standard Version
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
New American Standard Bible
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
King James Bible
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Luke 6:45
New International Version
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
New Living Translation
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
English Standard Version
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Berean Study Bible
The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Berean Literal Bible
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and the evil out of the evil brings forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth speaks.
New American Standard Bible
"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
King James Bible
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Psalm 51:10
New International Version
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
New Living Translation
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
English Standard Version
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
New American Standard Bible
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
King James Bible
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Testimony:
I had to grow, learn to love myself and trust GOD through ths process in order to be able to speak about these things. I once had a bitter, angry, mean, defensive, and hardened heart. It took a lot of breaking to spark love within it. Believe me when I tell you, I only learned how to love myself because of Jesus. I struggled with anxiety, depression, addiction and suicidal thoughts most of my life. I had to learn to forgive, learn to let go, learn to open up, learn to value myself and others in order to be free... If you are going through a season of transformation in this area, just remember: If you're going through Hell, keep walking.
Grace & Peace
No comments:
Post a Comment