God desires your heart. It is His steady hand that shapes gives, and provides a healthy spiritual heart so that you may serve and glorify Him. He is the ultimate keeper of our hearts.
Get a better understanding of some of the spiritual conditions our hearts experience throughout our lives. It is beneficial to recognize these heart conditions in order to change, maintain, or grow in the Lord.
Let’s also reflect on how He lifts our hearts and allows us to experience the delights of our hearts.
I would like to share an experience with my physical and spiritual heart.
A Physical Heart Experience
As a 12-year-old, I experienced the consequences of a human heart giving out. On a beautiful summer morning, I was helping my father with yard work. I recall the smell of freshly cut grass while he was mowing. I was clipping grass around fence posts. All of a sudden, I could no longer hear the lawn mower’s engine. Looking up, I saw my father lying on the ground. As the paramedics were unsuccessful in resuscitating him, he died that day in the yard where I always played. I was broken both physically and spiritually that day for my father.
A Spiritual Heart Experience
I received a new spiritual heart one month after my father’s death when three Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) students knocked on our door.
I hadn’t heard the heart described as spiritual or thought it was desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). As a result of God’s love for me, these college evangelists introduced me to Jesus, and I believed and accepted Him as my Savior.
It was the beginning of my faith journey. My relationship with God and my understanding of having a pure heart deepened as I grew into adulthood.
Spiritual Heart Conditions
It is the heart that holds our emotions and desires, which is the essence of our soul. We are influenced by what we pour into our hearts, for out of them comes to our true essence. Matthew 15:18, Luke 6:45
Throughout life, our spiritual hearts ebb and flow.
Understanding some of our spiritual heart conditions helps us adjust and move in God’s direction. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these spiritual heart conditions.
Heavy Heart
Experiencing a great deal of sadness in response to bad news or a great loss. Having trouble focusing, may not want to experience joy at this point. See Psalm 34:18
Light Heart
The feeling of being overwhelmed with happiness as a result of exciting news, an accomplishment, or overcoming an obstacle. Lightheartedness gives you the feeling that anything is possible. See Psalm 144:15.
Broken Heart
Experiencing life-changing events such as death, divorce, break-ups, betrayal, or separation can cause a broken heart. See Psalm 147:3.
Serving Heart
The desire to serve others selflessly. A sense of humility arises from seeking sacrificial opportunities and not attaching personal gain to serve. See Ephesians 4:12
Sinful Heart
The signs of a sinful heart are a tendency towards evil, malice, greed, jealousy, immorality, or selfishness. There may not be a feeling of remorse or the desire to repent or apologize. See Mark 7:21-23
Joyous Heart
A true joyous heart comes from God, regardless of the circumstances you may be experiencing. It is possible for you to find gladness that is beyond comprehension. There is no better medicine than a joyful heart. See Proverbs 17:22
What God Desires From Our Hearts?
To delight in Him and watch over our own hearts.
If we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. Psalm 37:4. What does it mean to “delight” in the Lord? The Hebrew word for delight is ang, which means to incline your heart to God.
In essence, we should keep our hearts pliable, moldable, and humble. Putting aside our own desires and delights allows God to work with our hearts. The only way God can help us in our heart conditions is to surrender our hearts, even in the face of impossible circumstances. Allowing our hearts to become pliable leads to a more robust faith. See my blog, “How to Grow Your Faith“.
God also calls us to watch over our hearts, for from our hearts flow the springs of life. The heart is more than just one’s mental or emotional capacity; it also embodies one’s personal values. Do your values line up with God’s Word? Proverbs 4:23
God is the one who is able to create a clean heart in you. Seek Him, follow Him, serve Him, and love Him with all your heart.
Call To Action
No matter what spiritual heart condition you may find yourself dwelling in, know this truth about all heart conditions from Proverbs 3:5-6 and pray it.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Looking to grow your faith further, check out my Free Printable Bible Studies