Most times when people ask you "How are you doing?" ....no matter the turmoil and troubles we are conditioned to say "I'm fine." But sometimes we ARE NOT fine. We think that we have to be strong because vulnerability is viewed as weakness. When in all actuality being vulnerable is actually a strength. It displays that you recognize that alone you do not have it together and it is only then that we actually trust God to do his works. As long as we are trying to hold on to control, or "save face" we are not being transparent. God wants you to be transparent with Him, so that He knows we trust Him! BUT FIRST, we have to be honest with ourselves.
I attend a weekly bible study/book club and we have been reading Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley. [SHOUT OUT TO #TEAMLIFE] It addresses Love, anger, jealousy, and greed. DEEP STUFF once you realize where some of these things stem from. But the most powerful activity we did was a Heart Check Up. We had to write the first words that came to our mind when asked "How is your heart?" inside of puzzle pieces that made up a heart. After writing it down, we had to cut the pieces and set them aside. We were then given 4 times to put the puzzle together. TRY #1: only 15 seconds..once time was up...we had to show our hearts...the pieces fell off the paper. TRY #2: was the same but we were given 45 seconds. SAME results. TRY#3: we got to listen to an India Arie song and were given the length of the song. Results: Some people were able to complete it. But then we had to hand our heart to the person next to us...and they showed us our own heart...it fell apart. TALK ABOUT FRUSTRATION! TRY #4: We listened to a gospel song..and we got to use glue this time. Results: the room was a bit more peaceful and once we showed our hearts that had been glued they stuck! LESSON: Far too often we rush to put the pieces (matters/issues) of our heart together quickly, to show others that "I'm ok!" We easily look at others hearts and get envious that their heart looks to be doing fine...especially if they are the ones who hurt us. In TRY 3...we even passed our incomplete hearts to someone else and were frustrated when they gave it back and it was in more pieces than before...HOWEVER it wasn't whole when we gave it to them! It wasn't until TRY 4...where we allowed God to be the glue that we were able to show a whole heart. Although there were cracks, we considered that the testimonies. We took the time and the patience to get it right. We must guard our hearts, but this is the key...guards stand at thresholds and while they keep intruders out...they allow the authorized inside! So we have to spend time using discernment to know what people/things/desires are to be kept out and which are to be let in!
"Guard your heart above all else, for from it flow the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23)
So if you are truly honest with yourself...HOW IS YOUR HEART? What are the troubles of your heart? What still hurts? What's still healing? What is still growing? What is still loving? What has simply got to go?! I challenge you to find strength in yourself..in transparency...in your Heart...in God!
Signed,
The Culturalista
"Guard your heart above all else, for from it flow the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23)
So if you are truly honest with yourself...HOW IS YOUR HEART? What are the troubles of your heart? What still hurts? What's still healing? What is still growing? What is still loving? What has simply got to go?! I challenge you to find strength in yourself..in transparency...in your Heart...in God!
Signed,
The Culturalista