A Healthy Heart
A few months ago I switched up lemon juice in my water for a low calorie flavor. Seems I was using way too much lemon juice and it was bothering my stomach. It took me a while to realize that while my stomach felt better, my heart had taken to doing cartwheels. Not a good feeling. So after going cold turkey on my flavored water, it has returned, almost 100%, back to it's normal rhythm. And of course, it got me to thinking. What are you taking in that poisons your heart? Are you allowing toxins in through your eyes, ears and heart that are slowly but surely building up in your system and are certain to do you in?
Do you see the beauty in others, but cringe when you walk past a mirror? Are you constantly reminding yourself that you need to lose weight so you'll feel more attractive? Please be reminded that while we tend to judge based on appearances, God never does. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Do you listen to the negative dialogue of family, co-workers, or the world in general (or on facebook!) so much so that you’ve allowed it to seep into your pores and make you bitter and hopeless? Faith comes by hearing the Word. God's truth. Hearing about Jesus and His life, death and resurrection. Are you listening to someone who faithfully teaches the Holy Scripture? Are you double checking your own copy of the Word to be sure what they are teaching rings true?
Has unforgiveness so settled in your bones that you forgot what you were even mad about in the first place? Would you rather stew in bitterness than to offer forgiveness? Jesus told Peter to forgive, even the same person 490 times! If you have been forgiven your sins, don't withhold forgiveness from someone else.
There's an awful lot of poisons in the world, and they're all fairly attractive at first. Even fun. But they are toxic and can ruin lives, livelihoods, families, testimonies and dreams.
In my desire to make my water drinking habit more palatable, I traded one woe for another. And in life, we often create new problems running from an old one. Jesus's yoke is easy, if you are weary of this world's. Jesus's burden is light, if you are tired of chasing your tail, trying to make sense of this messed up world we live in.
The meme is spot on. “Your diet is not only what you eat, but what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, people you hang around. Be mindful of the things you put into your body emotionally, spiritually, physically.”
“Finally, brethren, 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, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) John MacArthur states it this way – “we are the product of what we take in.”
We are born with sin inside of us. The only answer to that problem is Jesus. The answer to all of our problems is faith in a loving Creator God, who paid the price of our sin for us. Believer, take Him up on His promises. Unbeliever, repent, believe and be truly free. A healthy heart – one whose trust is firmly placed in Christ – is one that will live forever.
Do you see the beauty in others, but cringe when you walk past a mirror? Are you constantly reminding yourself that you need to lose weight so you'll feel more attractive? Please be reminded that while we tend to judge based on appearances, God never does. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Do you listen to the negative dialogue of family, co-workers, or the world in general (or on facebook!) so much so that you’ve allowed it to seep into your pores and make you bitter and hopeless? Faith comes by hearing the Word. God's truth. Hearing about Jesus and His life, death and resurrection. Are you listening to someone who faithfully teaches the Holy Scripture? Are you double checking your own copy of the Word to be sure what they are teaching rings true?
Has unforgiveness so settled in your bones that you forgot what you were even mad about in the first place? Would you rather stew in bitterness than to offer forgiveness? Jesus told Peter to forgive, even the same person 490 times! If you have been forgiven your sins, don't withhold forgiveness from someone else.
There's an awful lot of poisons in the world, and they're all fairly attractive at first. Even fun. But they are toxic and can ruin lives, livelihoods, families, testimonies and dreams.
In my desire to make my water drinking habit more palatable, I traded one woe for another. And in life, we often create new problems running from an old one. Jesus's yoke is easy, if you are weary of this world's. Jesus's burden is light, if you are tired of chasing your tail, trying to make sense of this messed up world we live in.
The meme is spot on. “Your diet is not only what you eat, but what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, people you hang around. Be mindful of the things you put into your body emotionally, spiritually, physically.”
“Finally, brethren, 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, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) John MacArthur states it this way – “we are the product of what we take in.”
We are born with sin inside of us. The only answer to that problem is Jesus. The answer to all of our problems is faith in a loving Creator God, who paid the price of our sin for us. Believer, take Him up on His promises. Unbeliever, repent, believe and be truly free. A healthy heart – one whose trust is firmly placed in Christ – is one that will live forever.
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