Hardening of the Arteries

Hardening of the arteries is a disease that occurs when plaque builds up inside arteries. The arteries get hard and narrow, which can restrict blood flow and lead to blood clots, heart attack or stroke. To prevent hardening of the arteries, we are told to eat healthy diets low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium (salt) and sugar. Exercise regularly. Maintaining a healthy weight.

But what about our spiritual hearts which is far more important? The peace that comes from maintaining a relationship with God brings numerous benefits to a person’s attitudes and can actually make our body healthier too. It’s true. From the stress-reducing effects of prayer to the depression-busting power of fellowship, spiritual health does wonders for physical wellness. “Stone cold.” “Dead man walking.” Those are phrases that describe someone still breathing but not thriving – those who suffer from hardening-of-the-heart. They merely exist. Their hearts are pumping but abundant life isn’t flowing out of them. If those phrases remind you of how your life might be, then just know how loved you are by God to be reading this blog today. He wants change for you.

To prevent hardening of the heart, we must guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” John 14:27 says: “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” That sounds like a command that helps us guard our hearts. Guarding our hearts is essential because it impacts everything we do.
Our spiritual heart is the core of our mind, will, and emotions. We recognize a hardened heart by the loss of tenderness, compassion, and a desire for closeness to God and others. And we’ll recognize a heart flowing with joy, peace, love by a sensitive and tender heart that can’t even help but rescue and give mercy to a frightened kitten. Those tender hearts are the ones who can’t help themselves — they must reach out and hug others who are hurting. They volunteer or support a charity because their warm heart is drawn to removing suffering in our world.

I was drawn to talk about our hearts today because, quite frankly, our hearts were challenged in 2020. Then, when it seemed that things were starting to return to normal, abruptly again, we’re challenged with concern and fear. Maybe some negative relationships and situations have fostered coldness in your heart. The unkind talk you’ve been around and listened to has affected your talk and walk. Maybe you are watching television shows and movies that are causing your heart to become hardened. I know how innocently we get drawn into those movies. My grandson spent the night with me Saturday night. We started watching a movie that began hilarious and fun, but turned distasteful. I knew we needed to guard our hearts. We changed movies. The enemy is intent on hardening our hearts. Maybe for some, it’s social media and browsing the internet that has desensitized their hearts.

I’m confessing to you that I am examining my own heart that can easily get drawn into matters that affect my heart condition -– that cause my heart to be less tender, less compassionate, less feeling. I pray that this blog is like a probe in our hearts that reveals what is causing the insensitivity, the hard-heartedness, and the callousness. I pray our hearts are cleansed and we guard them with 10 feet tall angels stationed around them. That we do not allow our spiritual arteries to get clogged up so much that we have a spiritual heart attack, and our spiritual life implodes. “Above all else – guard your heart. Because everything flows from it.”