THE HEART ISSUE

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”C.S. Lewis

The fourth candle that will be lit next Sunday during this Advent season is the candle of love. When I think of love, one of the things I think of is the heart.  I was amazed when I began to research our hearts and scripture.

Our heart the muscle located in our chest that pumps blood in and out and around our bodies.  It keeps us going.  The heart is a big deal; we can’t live without the heart.  The heart is also associated with love.  Love is a heart issue.

Our hearts give us significant issues because they are bipolar.  The heart can tell us contradictive thoughts; the heart can even lie. In the Bible Jeremiah 17:9 says that the heart is deceitful and sick!  Wow!  We all have diseased hearts.  Matthew 15:19 even goes deeper into the heart and what comes out of it, evil! 

No wonder we can’t love like God loves, because we have heart problems!

When you look up the definition of love in the dictionary you find that it is an intense feeling of deep affection, however, that is just one meaning.  Did you know that there are actually 7 different types of love?

1.    Ero’s- passionate

2.    Philia- friendship, three reasons; useful, pleasant, good

3.    Storge- love between parents and their children

4.    Agape- universal love, love for strangers, God- unselfish

5.    Ludas- playful or uncommitted love, flirting

6.    Pragma- practical love founded on reason or duty

7.    Philautia- self-love, can be unhealthy

I moved from that article to a book written by C.S Lewis The Four Loves ok so over my head?  Yes whew!!

So, after reading about our hearts and love, I put love in easier words; God loves us.  He loves us even when we sin, that doesn’t mean He likes our actions however He can care for us even when we are in the wrong. God’s love is unlike anything that we can ever really possess.  It is difficult for us to love those who have hurt us and or have hurt those we love. It is hard to love those that are difficult.  Why?  Because we have heart problems- we have issues with our hearts.  This is why we aren’t God, we can’t love like He loves, even if we want.

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” C.S. Lewis

In the article 10 Things You Should Know about the Love of God by Garry Williams number 1 says this- No human mind can comprehend God. While we may and must speak truthfully about his love, we can never fathom it, because it is divine love, as different from our love as his being is different from our being.

God’s love is incomprehensible! 

So, what is the prescription for our disease of the heart?  How do we love somewhat as God loves?

We must first be led by God and not influenced by our heart.  As humans, we take the road of the emotional roller coaster instead of the steady path of God.  Savior like a shepherd leads us.  God is our shepherd, and He is here to direct our paths.

Jesus told his disciples John 14:1 Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God believe also in me.  Our hearts must be submitted to Christ believing and trusting in Him and only Him.

The next part of the prescription is to understand how we experience God’s love.  We must experience His love to be able to share His love.  God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  Gods outpouring of love into our hearts is given to us over and over again.   When the Holy Spirit is within our hearts, then we will reflect God’s love.

The bottom line is we must let God get control of our hearts.  All of our heart issues will cease if and only if we are led like is stated in 2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”

With all of this being said number 10 in the article by Williams states – we make glancing reflections of immeasurable love of God visible to others in our own lives.

During this Christmas season remember why we celebrate.  We celebrate because of God’s love for us through His son Jesus.  To show His love, we must be reflections of Him sharing His love to those who can give us nothing in return.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis

CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK:

•    Keep your daily appointment

•    Stay in the word

•    Fill your heart with the Holy Spirit

•    Once you are filled with Christ, then you can fill others buckets with JOY!

Extra Reads: 

10 Things You Should Know About the Love of God

https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-love-of-god/

 

There Are 7 Types of Loves

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201606/these-are-the-7-types-love

 

The Four Loves C.S. Lewis