Heart wide open...

Sunday a lady came up to me at church and said, "I think you need another project.  You need to write a book and call it:  HEART WIDE OPEN."  I don't know that I have time to write another book, but I do know that what I am seeing in the world is a direct result of our hearts being closed to one another.  We are closed to nearly everyone. We want to be right. All the time, we have to be right.  So, we point our finger, and we accuse.

We turn our backs on our spouse.  He/She does not meet our needs. We turn our backs on our boss or our coworkers because they don't do things right.  We turn our backs on the people in our church.  We feel like they don't like us or that they are not good enough.  We turn our backs on our parents and our children.  We want them to do what we want them to do, and they don't do it.  So we turn our hearts away.  We close people off.   And that was the enemy's plan all along.  He is called the accuser of the brethren.  He is the one who lies to us and makes us think we are believing the truth. He is the one who causes division.  So what do we do to disarm him?

First, we turn to God with heart wide open and ask Him,  "What lie am I believing that is causing me to reject the people I love?"  Whatever He brings to our minds, we have to come to Him without excuse and say, "God, I am guilty.  I am guilty of being offended.  Forgive me.  I am guilty of feeling rejected.  Forgive me.  I am guilty of feeling unloved and unappreciated.  I am sorry.  I am guilty of allowing bitterness and hatred and unforgiveness in my heart.  Please forgive me."  Whatever God brings to your mind, come to Him with heart wide open and let Him heal you.  We cannot begin to open our hearts wide to others unless our heart is whole.  Only God can do this.

Then, once our heart is healed, we turn around with heart wide open.  We face our spouse.  We look past what is being said and what is being done, and we look at the person - the real person - the one God created in His own image, and we begin to pray.  We fight for him/her.  We speak the truth in love.  We bring all things to the surface without pointing the finger.  We forgive.  We encourage.  We fight together.  We are one.  Whatever happens, we are in this together.  I am on his/her side.  I am not against.  I am for.

Then, we turn our hearts to boss and our co-workers and our siblings and our children and the people in our church.  We open our heart wide.  We forgive.  We pray.  We fight for them.  We no longer point our finger and speak wickedness.  We repent and begin to fight for them.  We begin to speak words of affirmation and encouragement.  We speak the truth in love.  We let all things come to the surface so that we can all be healed.  We say, "I am sorry, and will you please forgive me."  We refuse to turn our back on them.  We WILL be on their side.

Then finally, we turn our hearts toward those who do not think and believe like we do.  We turn our hearts toward those who are going a different direction.  We turn our hearts toward those who, if they do not turn, are headed toward destruction and  will take a lot of people with them.  And we open our heart wide.  We begin to look at them like God looks at them, with compassion.  We begin to see and hear and understand what the Spirit is saying when He says, "Love those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you.  Pray for those who spitefully use you."  And we refuse to render evil for evil.  We instead give blessing.  We are no longer against, but we are for people.  We then become perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, and our Father smiles.  He loves it when His children get it right.  The only way we can do this is if we come heart wide open.  It's scary, but perfect love casts out fear.  LORD, help us all to walk in perfect love.  I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.  AMEN

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