Quieting Our Hearts

,

 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”

– Matthew 5:8

 

QUIETING OUR HEARTS

Saint Augustine, one of the church’s early leaders, said, “Our hearts are unquiet until they rest in God.” A powerful statement from a man who in the first half of his life engaged in much debauchery. He was a great lawyer and orator in his early life. His fame was so widespread that he was recruited to go to Rome to teach aspiring students about oratory, reading, and philosophy. During this period of his life he was in constant pursuit of the “truth,” while engaging in a life of sin. Encouraged by his mother, he met Bishop Ambrose in Milan. Through these meetings Augustine discovered that he was on the wrong path to truth. In a garden in Milan he heard a child’s voice that he felt was the voice of Jesus, and knelt to accept Jesus as the truth. From this point he became a bishop, and he went on to become a key figure in firmly establishing the church.

“Jesus asks us to not give in to our personal power, but to our hearts and the existing human desire to do good.”

Today’s verse is one of the Beatitudes delivered to us by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us in this verse to have a pure heart. A heart led to do good. One that avoids the temptation to give in to our fears, desires, and schemes. A heart that reaches outward to our neighbor. A heart that has faith in God. A heart that endures momentary losses and looks to the future. A heart of hope. Jesus asks us to not give in to our personal power, but to our hearts and the existing human desire to do good.

A friend of mine named Donna talks about this state of being as it relates to her business. After a difficult period early in her life that involved alcoholism and challenging times with her parents, Donna found Jesus. She took her savings and bought a building, and broke it up into small offices to start an “office share” business. Competing against bigger companies, she has over time built a successful business that includes numerous other buildings and many customers. She let go of her fears and thrived. At the various crossroads of this amazing story of revival, she focused on two things. The first was to make ethical decisions; the second, to listen for God’s direction. She tells me that over time at each of these crossroads, the decisions got easier and her business grew.

“If our hearts are God-centered and faithful, we will survive and more likely thrive.”

Jesus asks us to trust our heart and follow its direction. There are times when our hearts appear wrong or we are beset with worry. If our hearts are God-centered and faithful, we will survive and more likely thrive. Decisions that are made with the wrong intentions, however, will nag us in the future. Sleeping and our overall sense of being improves when we act with a pure heart. The momentary losses that sometimes stand in our way will disappear over time. Our hearts will become quiet and not restless.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Do we incorporate God in our decision making?

Do we fret over decisions we have made?

Can we make hard choices?

 

/by

Friends with a Persistent Faith

, , ,

 

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

-Mark 2:5 (NRSV)

 

FRIENDS WITH A PERSISTENT FAITH

Jesus has returned to his home in Capernaum. A great crowd gathered in and around the house. So many, that even the front door was blocked. At the same time four friends had heard about Jesus’ arrival and  picked up their paralyzed friend to take him to Jesus. They arrived too late to get into the house and found every entrance blocked. They knew in their hearts there had to be a way to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. They studied the house and began to debate the best method.

After some discussion, they decided to go to the roof of the house and create a hole in the roof, which would allow them to lower their friend into the house. When they had climbed to the top of the roof, they began to remove parts of the roof above Jesus. When they had dug through the roof, they lowered their friend into the house. Immediately, Jesus saw the man and looked up to see the faces of four friends expectantly looking back at Jesus. Jesus saw in their faces a faith of trust and hope. He immediately, said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  

Upon hearing this the religious leaders in the crowd, began to question the authority Jesus had taken in forgiving the man. Immediately Jesus responded by saying, “Why do you raise such questions in your heart? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven” or to say “Stand up and take your mat and walk?” In an act to demonstrate his authority, Jesus said to the paralyzed friend of the four, “Stand up and take your mat and go home.” Immediately the man stood and went home.

“A simple act driven by their hearts, full of compassion. Rewarded by Jesus who saw in their faces a trusting faith”.

Four friends knew in their hearts that Jesus could help their friend. When blocked they responded with a faithful ingenuity and found a way. A way that changed the course of a life. A simple act driven by their hearts, full of compassion. Rewarded by Jesus who saw in their faces a trusting faith.

“Our hearts’ sense when our neighbors are in need and when we reach out we can change the course of their lives.”

There are those times in our lives when we have to lift up our neighbors, when they can’t. Maybe through providing a meal, or a ride, perhaps even a prayer that is filled with a deep sense of compassion. Our hearts’ sense when our neighbors are in need and when we reach out we can change the course of their lives. All we need is a persistent and trusting faith.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

/by

Your Faith Has Healed You!

, , ,

 

“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”

-Matthew [9:22]

 

YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU

In the first century, standing on the side of a road, pressed in by a throng of on lookers a woman stood waiting. Waiting for what seemed like her final chance to be healed. For twelve long years she had been hemorrhaging. A disease that isolated her from her community and had forced her to live on the outskirts of society. For twelve years she had spent what little money she had on doctors, only to have her health continue to decline. Frightened by the decline in her health and scarred by the isolation of her disease, she desperately wanted to be healed. Faithfully she stood there waiting for “The One” to pass by, so she could touch his cloak and be healed.

Hidden in this story is the social isolation that occurred with her persistent bleeding. In the first century, she was considered “unclean.” As such, she was banned from communal activities and like the lepers of her time, forced to live away. Loneliness was a constant companion. Like most people she could adjust to her situation, but just beneath the surface of her forced normalcy, she desired human contact and affirmation of her existence. She was alone and declining in health.

“In spite of the crowd, she now stood alone, looking into the eyes of God.”

There He was close enough to touch.  As He passed by, she forced her way through the crowd and went up behind him and touched his cloak. Instantly she felt her disease had been cured. He turned around and looked for who had touched him. The crowd was thick and pressed in around Him, those with Him were confused and asked who had touched Him. She emerged trembling from the crowd and said it was her. There trembling in fear, she was standing face to face with “The One.” In spite of the crowd, she now stood alone, looking into the eyes of God.

Jesus then said to her, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” For twelve long years she had tried everything possible to escape from her disease and isolation. In an instant, she bravely stepped through the crowd and found her answer. A step in her life forced by her desperation and faith that Jesus was her answer. The many nights of searching in her mind for a solution were now at an end. She was whole again. A simple brave act of reaching out to touch the cloak of God had changed the course of her life. A simple act of faith combined with her own bravery changed her forever.

“A simple act of prayer combined with our own efforts produces a solution of hope.”

How many times in our lives have we searched for an answer? We have run down all the corridors in our mind searching for a solution. We have tried everything and nothing we tried works. We become despondent, knowing that through all our earnest efforts we have not moved forward. When we finally relent and give into our faith and pray, we find our answer. A simple act of prayer combined with our own efforts produces a solution of hope. A simple act of faith that heals us. A simple act that becomes a very personal experience with God. An act of faith that not only heals us, but lets us know God is with us.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

/by