Luke 6:45, "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 speak flows from what is in your heart."
We are not even aware of how deep our emotions are embedded in our hearts. This labyrinth of hurts, twists and turns within our hearts to places hidden from our own minds. In good conscience we try to forgive as to set our minds free of turmoil but beyond our efforts the sticky emotions of past pain find recesses that are beyond our reach. These deep-seated resentments tune our hearts to play a low and distressing song which reveals itself in our personalities. Most often it takes a word or situation to set these particles of pain into a tornado of speech that spews from our lips. In the aftermath we ask ourselves, "How could I have exploded like that?" or "Where did that come from?" These questions of the heart should be taken to God for only He knows the way to these dark places and has the love to heal them.
Most people shake it off and board up the entrance to the dark mine from which those unmentionables came from. "That will never happen again.", we tell ourselves. But, the God who loves you does not want you to live with unsettled pain that can be triggered. He wants to set you free (John 8:31b-32), "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." The crippled emotions that hide deep within us can define us and skew the image of Christ that is seen in our lives. Or, they can be healed, allowing a clear view of our loving Savior and the freedom He brings His children.
In one scenario we live our lives and are viewed by others as chained dogs that scratch and bark for freedom. We are bound to a stake in the ground and those viewing us see no freedom gifted to us by our Redeemer. We speak of a God who sets us free yet we live in bondage to matters of the heart that spill through our lips. Our actions and words display brokenness, anger, bitterness, jealousy, and a myriad of strongholds. Some dig in their feet and fight the Savior, blaming Him for their uncontrolled emotions. They convince themselves that it is God who has made them this way and will not help them. Others may curl up and give up, living a life of depression and hopelessness. They feel unworthy of God's love and become martyrs of self-pity. Most though, just choose a life either absent of God or a life of mediocrity, a lukewarm existence of turning your face away from any dealings with God.
There is a better way though and it leads to freedom. No more depression, self-pity, anger outbursts, bad habits ... just a journey of dropping baggage and acquiring new garments. Taking off the grave clothes and putting on a robe of righteousness. It is a journey that is uphill but it will build new character, new muscle, new joy. The defeated way only offers atrophy of mind, body and spirit. A disintegrating life that keeps you walking the same circles but with less integrity each time. True freedom is when we allow the Master to go where only He can go and heal what only He can heal. Followers of Christ know that it's through being broken and rebuilt that we find our true selves in Christ. Going through this life trying with our own might to repair ourselves only proves futile when those broken areas after time reveal their weaknesses again.
Do I sit here writing to you as a perfect person who has the right to preach to others about their brokenness? I am not perfect, far from it, but I can talk from my heart to you about anger, shame, bad habits and so much more because all of those things have been my struggles. Yet, I attest that they are so greatly diminished in my character because of God's grace. I stopped fighting Him and I'm finally letting Him have His way with me. Surrender is the key. Loosening our grip on the injustices that we hold so close to our hearts is the first step.
Isaiah 61:1b says, "He (The Father) has sent me (Jesus) to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." Our pastor spoke on this Sunday and explained this verse. Prisoners are held in chains for wrong doing whereas captives are held in chains by an oppressor. Christ offered not freedom from chains to the prisoner but freedom from darkness. Although they have to serve physically for their crime they do not have to serve a spiritual sentence. Their hearts can be set free from their bondage of sin even while incarcerated physically. A pure heart of repentance is all it takes.
On the other hand, a captive for example, could be someone affected by the criminals actions and the hate and unforgiveness in their heart holds them captive to an unsettled heart and mind. The inferno of contempt eats them alive and they suffer not only spiritually but mentally, emotionally and physically. They harbor revenge which makes their entire being a cauldron of seething anger. They are consumed with the injustice while their heart and mind slowly dims of the light of peace.
Whether a prisoner or a captive, Christ offers to bind up our broken hearts offering us freedom from the deterioration of sin. Unforgiveness is as inexcusable as murder to God. Each is unacceptable and must be dealt with. Our choice is to take responsibility and accept God's offer to heal us or the other option is to hold on to our sin and let it be dealt with when it's too late for our souls to be set free from it.
Matthew 6:15 says, "But if you do not forgive others of their sins, your Father in Heaven will not forgive your sins." Deuteronomy 32:35 states, "Vengeance is mine says the Lord..." Children of God, You can "control" whether you forgive, BUT, if you choose anger, then you have handed control over to satan. You will be a captive and live a life unfamiliar with God's grace and peace. Forgiveness is hard but all Christ requires is a heart that desires to want to be obedient to Him in this area. Go to Him with only that and He will do the rest. There was no more unfair circumstance than when Christ suffered for our sins, yet, He forgave.
Luke 6:45, "For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart."
Isaiah 41:18b, "I (the Lord) will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs." God can turn our hardened hearts into lush fields of peace. Could you use some peace?
Suggested reading: How to Forgive When You Don't Feel Like It, by June Hunt
We are not even aware of how deep our emotions are embedded in our hearts. This labyrinth of hurts, twists and turns within our hearts to places hidden from our own minds. In good conscience we try to forgive as to set our minds free of turmoil but beyond our efforts the sticky emotions of past pain find recesses that are beyond our reach. These deep-seated resentments tune our hearts to play a low and distressing song which reveals itself in our personalities. Most often it takes a word or situation to set these particles of pain into a tornado of speech that spews from our lips. In the aftermath we ask ourselves, "How could I have exploded like that?" or "Where did that come from?" These questions of the heart should be taken to God for only He knows the way to these dark places and has the love to heal them.
Most people shake it off and board up the entrance to the dark mine from which those unmentionables came from. "That will never happen again.", we tell ourselves. But, the God who loves you does not want you to live with unsettled pain that can be triggered. He wants to set you free (John 8:31b-32), "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." The crippled emotions that hide deep within us can define us and skew the image of Christ that is seen in our lives. Or, they can be healed, allowing a clear view of our loving Savior and the freedom He brings His children.
In one scenario we live our lives and are viewed by others as chained dogs that scratch and bark for freedom. We are bound to a stake in the ground and those viewing us see no freedom gifted to us by our Redeemer. We speak of a God who sets us free yet we live in bondage to matters of the heart that spill through our lips. Our actions and words display brokenness, anger, bitterness, jealousy, and a myriad of strongholds. Some dig in their feet and fight the Savior, blaming Him for their uncontrolled emotions. They convince themselves that it is God who has made them this way and will not help them. Others may curl up and give up, living a life of depression and hopelessness. They feel unworthy of God's love and become martyrs of self-pity. Most though, just choose a life either absent of God or a life of mediocrity, a lukewarm existence of turning your face away from any dealings with God.
There is a better way though and it leads to freedom. No more depression, self-pity, anger outbursts, bad habits ... just a journey of dropping baggage and acquiring new garments. Taking off the grave clothes and putting on a robe of righteousness. It is a journey that is uphill but it will build new character, new muscle, new joy. The defeated way only offers atrophy of mind, body and spirit. A disintegrating life that keeps you walking the same circles but with less integrity each time. True freedom is when we allow the Master to go where only He can go and heal what only He can heal. Followers of Christ know that it's through being broken and rebuilt that we find our true selves in Christ. Going through this life trying with our own might to repair ourselves only proves futile when those broken areas after time reveal their weaknesses again.
Do I sit here writing to you as a perfect person who has the right to preach to others about their brokenness? I am not perfect, far from it, but I can talk from my heart to you about anger, shame, bad habits and so much more because all of those things have been my struggles. Yet, I attest that they are so greatly diminished in my character because of God's grace. I stopped fighting Him and I'm finally letting Him have His way with me. Surrender is the key. Loosening our grip on the injustices that we hold so close to our hearts is the first step.
Isaiah 61:1b says, "He (The Father) has sent me (Jesus) to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." Our pastor spoke on this Sunday and explained this verse. Prisoners are held in chains for wrong doing whereas captives are held in chains by an oppressor. Christ offered not freedom from chains to the prisoner but freedom from darkness. Although they have to serve physically for their crime they do not have to serve a spiritual sentence. Their hearts can be set free from their bondage of sin even while incarcerated physically. A pure heart of repentance is all it takes.
On the other hand, a captive for example, could be someone affected by the criminals actions and the hate and unforgiveness in their heart holds them captive to an unsettled heart and mind. The inferno of contempt eats them alive and they suffer not only spiritually but mentally, emotionally and physically. They harbor revenge which makes their entire being a cauldron of seething anger. They are consumed with the injustice while their heart and mind slowly dims of the light of peace.
Whether a prisoner or a captive, Christ offers to bind up our broken hearts offering us freedom from the deterioration of sin. Unforgiveness is as inexcusable as murder to God. Each is unacceptable and must be dealt with. Our choice is to take responsibility and accept God's offer to heal us or the other option is to hold on to our sin and let it be dealt with when it's too late for our souls to be set free from it.
Matthew 6:15 says, "But if you do not forgive others of their sins, your Father in Heaven will not forgive your sins." Deuteronomy 32:35 states, "Vengeance is mine says the Lord..." Children of God, You can "control" whether you forgive, BUT, if you choose anger, then you have handed control over to satan. You will be a captive and live a life unfamiliar with God's grace and peace. Forgiveness is hard but all Christ requires is a heart that desires to want to be obedient to Him in this area. Go to Him with only that and He will do the rest. There was no more unfair circumstance than when Christ suffered for our sins, yet, He forgave.
Luke 6:45, "For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart."
Isaiah 41:18b, "I (the Lord) will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs." God can turn our hardened hearts into lush fields of peace. Could you use some peace?
Suggested reading: How to Forgive When You Don't Feel Like It, by June Hunt
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