Studying "guard your heart" (and all the connotations that come with it)

The following paragraph is an excerpt from an article I read this morning on the topic of guarding your heart. These types of analogies are very common in Christian rhetoric today, and for the past twenty years or so. (That's my own assumption, not fact.) I don't think that it's all WRONG, I do however think we're missing a big chunk of the picture, a very important chunk. The perfect "single stick tape" type of heart attachment (to use her analogy) is rarely reality. So what does that mean for the rest of us?

"The first time you stick a piece of tape to something it’s good and sticky. If you then peel it off and stick it to something else it may possibly still stick. The third time, the corners are probably not staying down. Fourth time it’s only limply clinging on in a pathetic sort of way. Do this too many times and you find yourself with nothing more than a dirty, linty piece of cellophane. Similarly (in case you missed the inference), the more times you give your heart away, the less likely it gets that your heart will be capable of staying put. And it’s not just that something in you gets weakened each time this happens. As a matter of fact, something in you gets strengthened as well . . .  your ability to switch the object of your affection. You have trained yourself to have a roving eye – and that habit will certainly not stop simply because you get married."

(Rebekah, http://www.feminagirls.com/2012/05/01/heart-guarding-and-other-ways-to-whitewash-a-tomb/)

What do you think?

- What emotions surface after reading this? What does it make you think of?

- What is the conclusion that the author comes to?

- What is the end result for the person who "gives his/her heart away" too many times?

Above All Else

Who or what is the ultimate authority in your life?

Now the question is, does that response happen to match up with reality? Because this here is definitely a case of "actions speak louder than words." It may be fairly simple to respond verbally in one way, but then carry out decisions, life, thoughts and perspectives in a completely different direction.

In one breath we can whisper a promise of quiet surrender to God, then our next thought can lead us back to seeking control and power. The act of surrender may happen in a moment, but living a life of surrender requires millions of moments in which we choose to relinquish control and again place our complete trust in Jesus. 

Still not sure how to truthfully answer that first question? Try starting with these:

Where does your allegiance lie?

How do you spend your time?

Where do you invest your money? Resources?

How do you make decisions?

The answer to these and similar types of questions are indicators to who or what is the ultimate authority in your life. 

So why does this matter? Well, whoever is in charge calls the shots, to put it simply. :) The coach calls the plays, the teacher instructs students in academics, parents set boundaries and guidelines for their children, etc. 

Who "calls the shots" in your life?

We are constantly in decision-making mode. This is a lesson I've learned since slipping into adulthood seven years ago. (Wow, seven years!) It's rather frightening for an individual who avoids decisions. I saw this quote recently: 

"I'm indecisive because I see eight sides to everything." - April Kepne

Yep, I think that sums it up. I'm all about gathering information, weighing all options, testing out different decisions before coming to the final conclusion, and especially listing out the pros and cons, etc. It's a rather extensive process. Sometimes I feel like I ran a marathon after making a final decision. Final decisions definitely call for a celebration! 

While we do make life decisions constantly, that's no reason to panic - even for someone like me who gets a little crazy around decision-making time. I was talking with someone recently about making some pretty significant and possibly overwhelming decisions about my future and was quickly reminded that trusting God with my life is not about knowing the next 25 steps, it's about knowing the just the very next step. Because really, that's all we need to know. Even that single step is often an act of faith.

The Psalmist, David, wrote that God's Word is a light unto his path. This makes me think of a man holding a lantern walking along a winding trail at night. He only sees the step in front of him, but the path continues to be illuminated as he moves forward. This is exciting to me! Just keep moving forward...

In all the decisions we make that dictate the direction of our lives (whether we realize it or not), we need to stop and acknowledge God as the authority. Surrender your plans to Him. 

Pray that you will hear and respond to HIS voice and directions above everything else. 

"Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you." Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

God cares about us and wants to give us the desires of our hearts. But we must first align our hearts with Him and acknowledge His authority as Lord of our lives. Everything God does is for our good and His glory. I so often need the reminder to put aside my own plans, and remember that God is on the throne of my heart, and ultimately, of the Universe! We need to trust God and believe that He loves us enough to give us what is best. 

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

{Father, You are supreme, above all else. Thy will be done!}

The Discipline of Celebration

"When we celebrate, we exercise our ability to 
see and feel goodness in the simplest gifts of God. 
We are able to take delight today in something we 
wouldn't have even noticed yesterday. 
Our capacity for joy increases." 

John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted

It's time to celebrate life.... the little things, the big things, everything.

I read this quote from John Ortberg last week and I can't seem to get it out of my mind. It's simple, yet profound. I've never thought of celebration as a discipline, an intentional, purposeful act, with such great reward.

Ortberg's formulaic approach is my favorite part:

1. Celebrate!

2. See & feel goodness in simple gifts from God

3. Take delight in things we used to not even notice

4. The result? An increased ability to experience joy!

A few days ago I wrote about choosing to be full of joy, regardless of circumstances or emotions that may naturally dictate otherwise. You know, that's sure a nice idea. Choose joy. It solves all your problems, right? If you're not full of joy - even on the awful, frustrating days - then you better just buck up and put a smile on... right? 

At the core of "choosing joy" is the intentional act of seeing and feeling goodness in the simple gifts from God. The more we choose to see these things every day, the more we will notice gifts and blessings. It's all about creating a new sense of awareness. Rather than being stuck in the dark and only seeing everything that goes wrong, you will start to become aware of reasons to celebrate. The best part: our ability to experience joy increases! 

It's a discipline. You can be disciplined in going to the gym, or doing homework, or how you eat, or cleaning the house. You're disciplined in the things you decide are most important, worthwhile, and will have lasting value to your life. Discipline is used to give direction in your life; it requires deliberate steps that move toward a desired end goal.

My end goal is that I would radiate joy to such an extreme that people would start to wonder. :) 

I want to be full of joy, even in the midst of circumstances that are not conducive to a joyful attitude. 

(This does not mean obnoxious or naive or ridiculous, just to clarify.)

"The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." Psalm 28:7

There is clearly a need to celebrate life in order to be full of joy. As with any other intentional decision, this requires a plan. My plan starts with this beautiful new notebook I came across at a store downtown yesterday:

I am using this notebook to record moments of gratitude each day. This is a discipline of celebration. It's an exercise in choosing joy. I know that I have much to be thankful for. Now, my goal is to take a moment to stop & see. I want to acknowledge the blessings to grow in my capacity for joy.

"You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there

are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11

The fruit [evidence] of a life filled with the Holy Spirit is joy. Galatians 5:22

Even When

Even when...

Life is hard / Life is easy

I feel excited / I feel lost

It all makes sense / I don't even know what's going on

I'm fearful / I'm content

There's love / There's loneliness

...even then.

Even then, I will praise your Name. There are times in life that are full of obvious joy, and then there are times of tumultuous joy. The latter being the kind of joy you maybe have to work a little harder for. Not 'work' in that if you only smile enough you'll just feel it, but rather the kind of JOY that comes from a simple choice you make. 

The choice is whether or not to be full of joy regardless of your circumstances, regardless of how you actually feel.

True joy has nothing to do with emotions. It is reflected in the type of thoughts you choose to dwell on, the words you choose to grace your speech, and the actions you choose to embody. It doesn't necessarily mean you don't still feel or experience those emotions. Emotions are very real, and not bad. The unhealthy part of emotions is allowing them to shape your identity & perspective. Who I am - and Whose I am - does not change based on my emotions. 

True joy is evidence of the Holy Spirit living in you. So when life gets messy, I'd better be praying that I'm filled up with the Spirit and not the world or my own selfish desires. I should probably be more proactive in spending time in the Word and in prayer to gain a godly perspective and not allow fog to settle in and cloud my view.

True joy exudes love and selflessness, when you would naturally seek selfish desires or wallow in self-pity. Sometimes all we need is to step outside ourselves for one minute so we can see that there are much bigger things going on. Everyone has a story; everybody deals with stuff. When I choose joy in the midst of my own struggle, I can also choose to focus on others rather than myself.

True joy is not contingent on your everyday surroundings. When car trouble, broken relationships, loneliness, financial questions, and tiredness invade your life, joy should still be the end result just as in a week full of blessings. Nothing is too big, too much, or too complicated... it is always possible to choose joy.

We sang this song in church today: Blessed Be Your Name, by Matt Redman. I was struck with the brutal and utter truth found in these words. It's generally easy to praise God when blessings are plentiful and abundant, but what about those times wandering through the wilderness or desert? Yes, when everything in my life seems to be working out just as it should be, those are times that we love to be thankful. But what about while walking down a painful road marked with suffering? Do we still choose gratitude?

No matter what the emotions, situation, surroundings, or natural instincts, 

God, my heart will choose to say: Blessed be Your Name.

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

(Video w/ Lyrics - Matt Redman, Blessed Be Your Name)