Heart Problems

 by Victoria Armstead

“Lord, what’s wrong with me? Where’s this coming from? What happened? Why me? How do I shake this feeling? “ 

Have you ever felt like there was something, beyond your intellect, standing in the way of you loving God with your WHOLE heart? Do you find yourself constantly “feeling some type of way”?  Are you unexplainably angry and bitter? Yea? Well sir/ma’am you have a CURABLE case of heart problems!

No, not those kind silly! I’m not prophesying a heart attack, stroke, or anything of that nature over your life. These heart problems, however, can cost you your life, if you’re not careful. These heart problems break down your spirit man and hold up your destiny. They give you a harsh disposition and strain your ability to love. Now, usually you’d have to make an appointment to talk to a doctor about your condition, but in this case, your answer is just one “Father in the name of Jesus” away. 

Typically, when you have an unusual ache or pain in your body, you want to know where it’s coming from so, you research your symptoms and causes of your affliction. After you get an idea of what the problem might me, you go to the doctor to gain more knowledge about what’s happening to you and to understand the seriousness of the situation, how it can be treated, and how it’ll impact your future. The doctor runs tests, gives you a diagnosis, explains preventative measures, and prescribes you medicine to cure your ailment. Now, you just have to do your part to get rid of it!

Well, as believers, we have to apply the same tenacity towards being better followers of Jesus Christ and that can’t be done if we carry around these heart problems. Some of us have experienced things that left us with hardened hearts. I know, for me, relationship blues and work drama alone took to me to that “forget everything and everyone” point. Some of you may have experienced abandonment, abuse (emotional/physical/verbal/sexual), rejection, church hurt, and many other unfortunate circumstances. Whatever it is, the burden of it ends after you read this blog in Jesus name!

I guess your next question is, “How do these things lead to heart problems?” See, the thing with heart problems is that you may never know of their existence until something triggers them. If you can, imagine an overly-filled garbage bag. You’re too lazy to take it out, so you just keep pilling stuff in and one day it just pops! It stinks up the whole place, you’re furious and there’s garbage everywhere! Imagine your heart as that garbage bag and your life as the place that gets the funky odor.  Not pretty, right? These problems creep by us for so long until something big happens and nearly destroys us. This is why the bible tells us to guard our hearts, for it determines the course of our lives (Proverbs 4:23). We’ve become a generation who deals with our problems by “sweeping them under the rug” and developing an “it is what it is “mentality. We only play ourselves by allowing something that Jesus took to the cross to eat away at us. We have to become masters at casting our cares on the Lord because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). If not those heart problems will continue to develop so, take out the garbage!

Here are some steps towards recovery:

1.    Pray! Ask God to reveal what’s going on with you (Jeremiah 33:3)

2.    Confess it all (1 John 1:19; Romans 10:10)

3.    Ask for forgiveness and you MUST forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15; Acts 3:19)

4.    Search His Word for answers, not people. (Proverbs 30:5)

5.    Ask God to cleanse your heart (Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36:26)

6.    Guard your heart …be careful what goes in and comes out of it. (Proverbs 4:23)

7.    LOVE (1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:7-8; Matthew 22:37-39)

Remember, you’ve been healed since the beginning of time! Bitterness and anger have no power or dominion over you! Bye, bye heart problems. We’re FREE!!!!!!! You’ve been cured and the curse is broken!!!