5:119 – Big hearts, big hurts

#faithbites #faithjourney hearts

Intro

I was talking to a friend about geeky stuff and she said we are very much alike. I said we are Geeks with Big Hearts. Then I did a google image search and one of the results was this picture. It hit me hard and makes a lot of sense. Some call it being overly emotional, others say I’m naive or gullible. I’ve had many tell me to put up walls so I don’t get hurt as much. But, unlike the picture, I know why I’m still doing this. God made me this way. Many of us have big hearts and that can lead to big hurts. It can also lead to big love.

Questions

• Do you open yourself up to everyone?
• Are you showing your true self or is it a mask?
• How do you balance having a big heart with the risk for big hurts?

Scripture

• Ezekiel 36:26 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
• Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
• Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
• Matthew 22:37 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Reflection

When I say I have a big heart it’s not to brag. Having big hearts and being open is who we are and how God created it. It’s trying to show why we do what we do. Yes, there is a risk of getting hurt, (over and over and over again). But if we truly follow God and love him, we have to do it with all our hearts. We are to support to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. God purposely told us he took our stone heart away and made it flesh. This means warmth, love, and compassion.

When we have stone hearts or walls, while we may protect ourselves from hurt, we also isolate ourselves from love and all the good things God provides. We need to look at who he made us to be and live in love.

As we close, remember that falling hard is part of loving hard. Failing hard is part of putting everything you have into something. These are signs of weakness, they’re signs of strength.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for creating us as we are. We pray boldly that you will help us fail better, love better, and be more open. Give us strength when we want to close the walls and shield our hearts. Redirect us when we want to isolate in fear of hurt or failure. You want us to be loving people of action. We pray in your name, that you help us to live like that. In your name, Amen.