Some people have a softness about them that others mistake for weakness. I’d rather have a strong skeleton than a hard shell.
My softness is approachable and my strong skeleton withstands a lot of unnecessary and unwanted negativity from outside.
A strong heart is important. In a place where so many people have created hard shells, it isn’t because they distrust outside of themselves, it’s because they don’t trust their own heart.
Several scriptures seem to support people or encourage people to avoid trusting their own hearts. Then again we tend to seek out people places and things that reflect our own thinking, that includes scripture.
A faint-hearted person will seek out a scripture that confirms their pain and seems to tell them their heart is not to be trusted and they are wicked for their human choices that brought them to consequences. (Managing from the outside)
See “Jeremiah 17:9, Ecclesiastes 9:3 and so on…
Whereas a strong-hearted person will seek out scripture to further enhance their hearts direction to manage from the soul. (Managing from the inside) Hebrews 4;12, 2Timothy 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5;17 and so on…
What is to be cleared up is that we can trust our hearts, we can’t trust a sin-filled heart. Sin means to miss the mark (think of archery). We want to hit the center, or as close to it as possible. The further away from the center we hit (life’s situations getting the best of us) the less likely we trust our hearts.
However I’ve taken on another perspective. Not only do we get upset when we don’t hit the center (bulls eye) , we start to purposely aim anywhere but the center. Thus, we create distrust in our own hearts. Distrust does not come from other people. It comes from us not being aligned within our center.
A person who depends on artificial oxygen long enough, over time, will stop trusting their own lungs.
Trust comes from how we choose to respond or react to people places and things. When we REspond favorably we build more trust, when we REact to unfavorable conditions, we build distrust. Trusting our selves can place us in the position to become more mindful of our selves in keeping a strong heart even in the face of weakness.
People who trust themselves will often take RESPONSibilty by seeking through the heart of matters. Their REaction is to bring issues back to oneness through fellowship. While distrustful people abhor the heart in favor of distancing themselves from RESPONSibilty. Their REaction to matters is to abandon ship and separate from the center in order to “get back at”.
So when someone tells you to not trust your heart, it’s like telling you to don’t trust God and stay away. God is the center, the midst, the essence, the bullseye, whatever you consider it…God is the universe heart beat. Inaction is sin, plotting is sin, seething is sin, discouragement is sin. One of the first things sin does is break us from the inside, not the outside. Missing the mark enough times can cause us to put the brakes on our hearts.
While no human is perfect, one can take on RESPONSibility and make more mindful choices. One can still embrace their softness and stand against strong winds of negativity instead of falling weak and missing the mark, and then seeking to separate people from their center. A strong heart is what keeps the body alive. A strong heart is what keeps a family together, and a strong heart is what provides light in any darkness.
A saying goes that hurt people hurt people. But a strong heart heals. Instead of envying or bullying soft people, take a page out of their book and ask yourself, “How can they stand me after all I do to them?”
Ezekiel 36:26 notes, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”
Seek within yourself if what you’re doing is needed or asked for before you berate others. We’re all fighting battles unseen. Have a heart.
Live Your Truth 