Fresh Bread: Heart Dis-Ease
Search me, O God, and know my HEART; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)
During a message I gave a few months ago, I asked this question: “What is the leading cause of death in women?” Most of those present responded, “Cancer”. Who could disagree with them given the tremendous amount of advertisement and press coverage this disease has received? The official color representing the fight against this disease, pink, is virtually ubiquitous. Many were as surprised as I was to learn that the actual answer to this question was heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, about 13 million Americans have active symptoms of coronary artery disease. Heart disease is the narrowing or blockage of the arteries and vessels that provide oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the heart. It is caused by an accumulation of fatty materials on the inner linings of arteries that restricts blood flow. When the blood flow to the heart is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack because the heart is starved of oxygen.*
In Chapter 6 of The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges informs us that “holiness is a battle.” It is a battle that daily occurs within our hearts. Every battle involves attacks. I believe that the main cause of spiritual death in believers (Christians) is also heart disease. Satan blocks the breath of God, that is, the influence in the form of God’s Holy Spirit (oxygen) and the food of God’s Word (nutrients) that our hearts (attitudes) need to live victoriously for God.
Satan begins his attack on our hearts with anxious thoughts. On my way home, I regularly see a sign in front of a church that says, “Worry is the opposite side of Faith.” Worry or anxious thoughts will destroy our faith, which is the ticket into our God-given place of promise and purpose (Hebrews 3:12-19). The currency on which God’s Kingdom runs is not money, but FAITH (Hebrews 11:6).
We are commanded not to worry! (Philippians 4:6). And yes, being anxious about our future offends our God who holds the future in His hands. Anxiety or worry distracts us from the purpose for which God saved us (Matthew 6:31-33). Thus, the only solutions to this dis-ease (a word originating from dis: the removal of, and ease: comfort, restfulness, quiet, poise, confidence, or freedom from worry) in our hearts are: God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:11) and Holiness (I Thessalonians 3:12-13). So, during this consecration, let God search our hearts so we can get our lives back on His “path of everlasting life.”
sending...
