Over the years I have had several friends and acquaintances who found themselves in need of an open- heart surgery. Blockages in the arteries or ventricles restrict the flow of blood, creating a situation where blood is not effectively reaching all areas of our human bodies. This lack of blood flow creates life-threatening situations which must be addressed before a person has a heart attack or stroke. Open-heart surgery isn't going to be the first option unless it is deemed that the risk of surgery is outweighed by the risk of not having the surgery. Surgically opening the chest cavity and exposing the body's lifeline does not go without risk, yet failing to have open-heart surgery can lead to dire outcomes. The benefit of having an open-heart surgery is obvious, what was once blocked is now clear, which translates to a "healthy heart".
It goes without saying, but we can't live without a heart. The heart is a vital organ that keeps our blood flowing and our bodies functioning. But the heart also has a different role in the lives we live that is more in line with what we might label our soul or spirit. Many ancient cultures saw the heart as the center of the soul and life's decisions flowed from the heart rather than from the brain as science tells us today. Although we know that our brains are the central command post for thinking and planning, we agree that our emotions and the decisions we make originate somewhere else than in our minds. "Follow your heart", "I love you with all of my heart", having a "change of heart" or having a "heart to heart conversation" all demonstrate that whether we can scientifically explain it or not, the heart is also home to our moral compass of right and wrong.
So, since we are moving way deeper than science on this one, we need to look at what God says about our hearts in relation to the life we live each day. In Matthew 6:21 Jesus shared that "... where your treasure is, there your heart will be too", and in Proverbs 3:5-6 Solomon instructed us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding". Those two examples alone let us know that God wants our hearts to be free of blockage, otherwise His love and His plans for our lives cannot flow freely from our thoughts to our ultimate life choices and decisions.
The question we must each ask ourselves each day is what is blocking our heart from living our lives for God? Jesus made it clear in Matthew 5:8 when He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God". Blessed are the "pure" in heart, in other words, blessed are those that don't have blockage limiting God's influence on the decisions they make from the heart each day. Are you in need of an open-heart surgery to remove the world's blockage? Remember what you treasure is exactly where your heart will be focused as you make decisions each day.
Whatever we place in front of our relationship with God should be considered a blockage. That blockage in turn taints our thought process and turns our decision-making flow to the channels of this world instead of allowing God's commands and instructions to guide us throughout each day. To live out the life God purposed you to live, it is necessary to allow the Great Surgeon to perform a spiritual open-heart surgery on your heart and soul. That is where we find peace and where we begin to live each day based on what God wants instead of allowing our decisions to be bade based on the world's view. In Philippians 4:7, the Apostle Paul tells us to bring everything to God and in so doing God's peace will freely flow through our lives. Removing the blockages of this world allows God's peace to flow. Paul finishes this thought by sharing that when we remove the world's blockage then, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Which translates to a successful open-heart surgery of our soul!
Coach Carter
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