Softening a Hard Heart
February 9, 2021
Valentine’s Day is upon us. It is the holiday intended to celebrate the ones we love. Unfortunately, it is also a holiday of extremes. A day when we euphorically celebrate the love we have in our lives at the moment or dwell bitterly on lost or spurned love. This morning, I was reading Mark 8:17-18. Jesus was talking to His disciples about a hardened heart. A heart that didn’t believe what it saw or heard. A heart that didn’t remember all the good things it experienced. One definition is a heart that has experienced so many bad things that it is no longer affected by new trauma in the way other hearts would be. That is a sad state to be in. Many of us have gotten there by truly hurtful situations we’ve had to endure in our lives.
As I looked up articles on a hardened heart, one really popped out at me. In the article, 7 Powerful Warning Signs of a Hardened Heart *, author Kristi Woods identifies one of those signs as indifference or apathy. It is a sign that they have lost the JOY that once resided within them and have embraced apathy. Hmm, that sounds vaguely familiar.
But then, it occurred to me that JOY is lost, not stolen. If we can construct or build a hard heart, we can deconstruct one, too! If lost JOY is a sign of a hardened heart, then one way to get it back is to work on softening our hearts! I have the power to do that, with the help of my Heavenly Father!
Last week, I was presented on multiple fronts with evidence that I have a hard heart, that I am not demonstrating an appropriate level of empathy towards others. Some of the evidence was not proof of a hard heart. What appeared as a lack of empathy was really the correct response. I had to hold the other party accountable to take responsibility for their actions. Other evidence presented was not so easily dismissed.
Bitterness, an unexpected edge to a comment made, unforgiveness, pride, and callousness are all lurking around inside me at various levels. I don’t even know where they all are! So, I decided to take the first step. I dropped to my knees and confessed that those things are present in my heart. I asked the Father for forgiveness and consciously accepted His forgiveness (which is immediately offered through Jesus Christ). Then, I asked the Holy Spirit to (gently) point out those areas of hardness and give me guidance on how to deconstruct that hardness and how to get the JOY back. Let the deconstruction begin!
I am going to let the red hearts of this Valentine’s season be a reminder of my commitment to work on softening my heart toward God and toward others this year. Happy Valentine’s Day!
* Reference: Woods, Kristi, 7 Powerful Warning Signs of a Hardened Heart, April 17, 2020 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/warning-signs-of-a-hardened-heart.html
