I don’t think I can ever remember a time when so many of my friends have been walking through so many challenging circumstances. Gut wrenching disappointments, deep discouragement, hope deferred (which makes the heart sick – Proverbs 13:12) and non-expected disasters have saddled a lot of good people in the days we are living. Of course, we have had our own challenges and it has got me to thinking again about ‘how do we guard our hearts in the midst of all of this’? The last thing you want, on top of everything else, is a hard and unresponsive heart to God and others.

In combing the Scriptures, I found myself reminded of the words in Proverbs 4:23, ‘Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life’. Just like blood flows from our physical hearts to the rest of our bodies so the condition of our ‘spiritual hearts’ effects all of our life – our motivations, attitudes, thoughts, actions and words, as well as the way we relate to God and those around us. We either emit life and health or disease and death depending on the state of our heart.

So, how’s the condition of your heart right now? Tempted to become bitter? Wrestling with offenses? Unresponsive due to a numbed-out heart? Can I share two things I’m learning in the midst of our ‘curves of life’? First, God absolutely loves us, is committed to us and is with us – always (Matthew 28:20). And, second, my reactions in turbulent times are ‘windows to my heart’ helping me to see what’s really going on in there – and what God might want to speak to, tenderly touch or align more to His ways and truth.

~ Dave Buehring