Guard your heart
Life is sometimes hard! People hurt us verbally or with their behavior. That hurts. Recently someone told me, “Don’t make such a fuss, you’re so difficult!” Ouch! My spontaneous reaction is to back off and, if possible, not cross that person’s path so quickly again. Others might be more likely to counter with a sharp comment, along the lines of “offense is the best defense.” By such reactions, we want to protect our hearts.
Dallas Willard, an evangelical philosopher said that the heart is the core of the human being and that only thanks to the healthy heart the self functions properly. (In this context, by heart he also means the will).
„Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.“
Proverbs 4:23
The Bible says we should guard our hearts, and we want to do that – but what does that mean? Neither attack nor withdrawal are healthy, because excluding negative feelings automatically excludes positive feelings. We don’t want that!
What is it then?
Jesus wants us to trust him, and then he will be our protection or filter for everything negative. He cushions the blows that are directed against us.
My heart suffers when my value is questioned or even completely denied (by myself or others). But I know that Jesus has made me valuable. And when I really understand that my value is a given, my heart doesn’t have to suffer anymore! It is sheltered and protected. That means that my feelings don’t have to ride a roller coaster anymore! But for that to happen, I should get rid of lies that I believe about myself and about Jesus, otherwise it is difficult to trust Jesus completely.
When I notice that an attack or a comment hurts me, I ask myself which lie I still believe and have to let go of. This is a lifelong process, but if I “keep at it,” it gets better and better.
Since I’m a valuable person at all times, I am able to keep an open mind. I can ask myself if there is something to an irritating comment, if I should change something, and where this statement is coming from. I don’t have to defend myself, but can try to clarify the situation objectively. It allows me to consider how I want to act, rather than simply reacting to the other person. I can keep my love switched on, even if I still don’t like the original comment about me being a “troublesome person.”
I would like to add that no one should tolerate psychological or physical abuse! Please seek help immediately if that is the case! In this blog I’m talking about everyday interpersonal problems and misunderstandings.
If Jesus is your all-around protection, then your heart can be soft, open, loving and vulnerable. You don’t have to protect yourself. In this way, you remain sensitive and receptive to relationships and everything positive. In this way, you guard your heart. Jesus is bigger than any problem you have! As always, it’s your decision and your will what you look at: the problem or Jesus?
Trust Jesus and his truth, so that your heart is protected and you can stay open for everything good and beautiful in life.
