How is your heart?

If a friend came up to you and were to ask "how is your heart?" then what would your response be?

Our heart is the only organ that feels emotion and is one of the most vital organs in the human body. We say things like "my heart aches" or "my heart jumped for joy".

It has four chambers and each serves it's purpose in pumping life (blood) throughout the body. It really is amazing to think about how the heart gives your body the ability to have life. The heart is one of the first 3 organs to develop inutero (brain and spinal cord are the other two). The heart is so important. In regards to maintaining a physically healthy lifestyle, most health advocates say to have a healthy diet, regular exercise, and overall well-being, including emotional and physiological. For a heart that is not well-taken care of, plaque (a wax-like substance) can build up and hinder blood flow. The lack of blood flowing throughout the body results in other areas of the body being negatively affected. In worse case scenario, it can cause a heart attack. For some it is detramental to their health and for others it is fatal.

So what do the physical aspects of the heart have to do with this post? It further proves how amazing God is and how important it is for Him to be a part of our lives and in our hearts. It also shows how one physical thing can effect our lives in other ways (mentally, emotionally, etc).

To ask someone "how is your heart?" is to send the message that you really care about who they are, their highs, their lows, and you want to support them along the way.

When was the last time you asked yourself that question?

God longs for us to have a clean heart and to seek after righteousness. If our hearts are being filled (slowly or fast) with things other than what brings us closer to God, then we are headed for a heartattack!

Righteousness

• "Righteousness is one of the chief attributes of God as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible. Its chief meaning concerns ethical conduct." -Wikipedia
• The Hebrew word for righteousness is tseh'-dek, tzedek (a.k.a.--upright, just, straight, innocent, true, sincere). It is best understood as the product of upright, moral action.
• Genesis 15:6 says "And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."
• Deuteronomy 6:25 says, "Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us."
• The Book of JOB has lots of references to righteousness.
• Psalm 5:8 says, "Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face."
• Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
• 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 says, "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'  Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."

When our goal is righteousness, it can make tough decisions much easier to make. Look, no one is perfect (obviously), but the point is what you are seeking after. What we fill our lives with impacts our hearts! If you care more for friends and a social life than spending daily time with God, your heart could be building up "plaque". If you listen to music that make you think more about "drama" in your life rather than on the blessings of God in your life, then you could have "plaque" in  your heart. Even more subtle things, such as jealousy, anger, resentment, insecurities (if you dwell on them rather than allowing God to help you overcome them), guilt, loneliness... these subtle things can cause your heart to build up with "plaque" and rob you of righteousness freely flowing through your veins.

We need to daily confess our sins so that the LORD can cleanse our hearts and purify us. Daily confess your belief in the LORD and His Son, Jesus. There are plenty of things around us to distract us from keeping our eyes on the Lord--Boys (yes, I say boys because men are for marriage), jobs, friends, family, bills, music, etc. Whatever it be, if it doesn't keep your eyes on the LORD, then we need to ask ourselves if we should avoid it or change that area of our lives. The LORD can use those whose hearts are clean from evil.

So, I encourage you to examine your heart, to seek out the areas that are "clogged" with wordly distractions, to confess unto the LORD your wrong-doing for allowing those things to "clog" your heart, and seek a new ay--righteousness. Then, your heart will be clean and capable of being fixed on the LORD and His Son, Jesus. When we walk faithfully with Him, all that He has for us can be poured out upon us!!