C.S. Lewis once said, “Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” Lets be honest, when you are dealing with a trial or tribulation in your life no one ever wants to hear: “There are better things ahead.” In fact, this simple saying would drive most to their end. However, the reality is that you have the power to determine if there really are better things in your future. We are all connected by one source and one truth. That truth allows us to see us for who we are: broken yet beautiful.
Recognizing the power of this truth starts with the condition of one’s heart. Over the period of my life I have given my heart to many things, hobbies, people, and places. In Africa, we performed a drama that represented my life. It starts with me with this huge beautiful hot pink paper heart in my hands. I show the crowd how much it means to me. I tenderly hold it close to my chest. Then, all of the sudden to my left I see girls motioning for me to come over, so I walk over to were they are standing. The girls start playing with my hair, hugging me, touching my face, and tell me I am beautiful. Then, they ask me for my heart. Ready to share my love with them, I freely hand it over thinking that they will take care of it. Before I know it, it is thrown on the floor and smashed in the ground. I pick it up, broken and try to figure out what to do with a heart that isn’t so pretty any more. I see people to my right and notice that they want to to come over as well. So, I pick up my not-so-well heart and take it with me. They offer me peace and a “good time” but only on the conditions that I give my heart away. So, I reach over to them and ever so slightly they take the heart out of my hands, ball it up, and throw it on the ground. After this act, I realize that friends and the world have broken my heart. Now, I am in a vulnerable state and along comes a guy. Immediately, I run away. But, he keeps walking around me making “safe” accusations towards me. Taking it slow, I make a move to let him in. He motions for my heart, but I show him that it is a little “messed up” and he makes it look like he will take care of it. He begins to comfort me, and naturally I give him my heart. However, I place it on his chest symbolizing the action of engraving my heart to his heart. However, he very easily takes my paper heart off his chest and tares it into pieces. That was the last strike for me, now I am alone, broken hearted, and lost trying to figure out how could I be wrong in sharing my love with people. Then, in the middle of my brokenness this man comes along, he seems to be gentle but after the last time my heart was broken, I decided I would not be fooled. He motions for my heart, but I show him the torn pieces. I try to put the heart back together, but the pieces don’t fit any more. So, I give up and just give the left over pieces to him. Grieving, I turn around to realize he has given me a new heart. Elated, I realize it is Jesus, the only one who can give me a new heart.
This drama was performed all over Africa, but I didn’t realize how much to spoke of Jesus’ works. In Proverbs 4:23 the author writes, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” It made me question, “what are the springs of life?” I gathered some information that, in biblical language, the heart is the center of the human spirit from which “spring” emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage and actions. Therefore, the springs of life effect your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual state. The hearts effects your character and your outcome. In fact, Matthew 12:34 reads “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” When the center of one’s spirit is battling confusion, how is his or her daily live not going to be affected negatively by this confusion? This is why the heart is the key to to the springs of “life.” The bible also tells us that “for where your heart is, your treasure is also.” (paraprahzed mine). So, now we have a two-fold problem, your heart leads to your treasure.
Let’s takes this idea and run with it. As children, we all listened to stories about pirates, treasure chests, and “X” marks the spot. Dictionary.com gives quite a few definitions of the verb and noun form of the word treasure. First, it can mean valuable things or wealth stored or accumulated. Then, it could mean to retain carefully, keep in store, or to regard or treat as precious. Overall, treasures are the things that are precious to you, the things that you’ve kept dear to you. Guess what? They all lie within the walls of your heart.
It makes me connect this truth: Why was the treasure so hard to find? Remember, the pirate always had a map, but inevitably had to fight the forces of nature, and the forces of time to find the treasure. You see, the things of this life come as a pirate. (he may or may not have a blind fold haha) Basically, the devil knows your map, he knows where the treasure is, and he knows that if he can get to your treasure, he can get to your heart, and the “springs of your life.”
That simple “X” can give away many things. The fact of the matter is sometimes we forget where we hide our treasures and what our treasure really are. If we don’t stay on top of our hearts, then we allow Satan to have an “inch” of our treasure. When we give Satan and inch, he turns into a mile. So how do we gain this control over the enemy?
Ezekiel 36:26 states, “I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” The passage remind us of the promises God made. First, of all the idea of renewing and transforming of one’s mind and heart. God promised he would bring change, but also called on his people to effect this change. In the Old Testament, God is implying that his heart of flesh will be a pliable, teachable heart. Therefore, the first step in gaining control over the mile that the enemy has attained is that we have to realize we really don’t know it all. We have to come to the place where the Lord can teach our hearts and minds.
The second step is in realizing we have to take the intiative. Now lets look at Ezekiel 18:31, where we are called to make a new heart. The Hebrew word Asah used 2,625 times in the Old testament means “to make.” It also can be used as to keep, prepare, execute, commit, or do. The meat of this blog comes from the word “prepare.” Prepare describes both sides of an agreement: what God does for us and what we must do for ourselves. How do we make a new heart? We prepare.
Matthew 13:44-46 states “‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Our hidden treasure is in recognizing the pearl. The one valuable pearl whom is Christ Jesus. Our treasure shouldn’t be in the things of the world, or our hearts will be also in the world. However, our treasures should to stored in the kingdom of heaven, where Christ is the “heart and center.” Then, once we really grasp a hold to what that treasure is like we will sell everything we have to buy that field. In that field, we can find a new heart.
What’s it going to take for you to by that field? Are you going to stop making it easy for the enemy to follow your map and find your treasure? Or are you going to come to the place where you realize the realize the treasure is literally Christ? You know what’s quite ironic? Every December what gather together to celebrate “X-mas.” We celebrate the birth of Christ, the “x” but we can’t even realize there is a connection between Christ and what marks our treasure. If Christ is out treasure, then he will be inside of treasure chest which is our hearts, and our treasure will lie in the kingdom of Heaven.
So let’s wrap this up. We determine our futures by realizing the truth. We determine the truth by realizing where our treasure lies. Finally, we determine what our treasure is when we realize the condition of our hearts.
If we discover we are broken, yet beautiful we can come to the same conclusion. We are all connected through suffering. This suffering prepares us for what lies ahead: the marriage of the Lamb. By “clothing ourselves in white linen we 1) get ready 2)walk worth and 3) overcome. This brings us to the conclusion that the happy ending comes only after the preparation and the preparation comes only after the decision: the decision to stop putting your heart in the things of this world. After all God, marked his spot that day on Calvary when his treasure was covered in blood. What will your “X” be?
[...] “A Season of Preparation” by Rachel Fenters [...]