The Heart

I work usually one day a week in a cardiac rehab. Working here has made me feel like a hypocrite. I wasn't exercising but I was exercising other people to give therapy to their heart muscle. I wasn't practicing what I was preaching. Hmm, made me think about it a little more. But in more ways than one. This morning (while I was exercising) God made me think about spiritual exercise and comparing the two. It wowed me. We all know the benefits of exercising, but lets review. :o) Hang with me here. It overall makes us healthier by increasing blood flow, prevents build up of plaque in our arteries (which can cause blockages that decrease blood flow), increasing strength and endurance and even makes us just 'feel' better (releases endorphins).

So for a moment let's pretend the heart is the heart. Ok, got that? :o)

Our blood is God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Exercise is the Word.

Plaque is sin.

The electrolytes plus oxygen and glucose (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus)are the Fruits of the Spirit.

Strength and endurance are faith and hope.

If we would exercise our spiritual heart on a daily basis, we could have balance. The electrolytes are important in maintaining body fluid volume, nerve and muscle function and cellular balance. Oxygen and glucose are for feeding the cells.
The fruits of the Spirit are important to our bodily function also. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. Notice that blood (which is the Trinity) carries all these elements.
If we exercised our heart which is reading His Word, it would maintain balance with our fruits of the Spirit (electrolytes), increase the Spirit (blood) flowing through us, help prevent sin (plague) from building up AND that just makes us 'feel' better by releasing those endorphins which in turn increases our faith and hope. I don't know about you, but I just LOVE it when He shows me these types of things. These thoughts didn't come from me, but the Spirit.

So, I challenge all of YOU to exercise both spiritually and physically. Both are important, but don't let the phycical part be more important than the spiritual. We need our spiritual bodies in heaven some day, but our physical ones will just rot away. So, this analogy is an answer to my previous post. Having the balance comes from Him and only Him! Don't wait for the 'New Year' to start new habits..start today. MAKE time to read His Word. It's well worth the balance.

The Balance

I've been pondering how a person acquires balance in life. How do you not have too much pride, but enough to not be in a pity party? A person can 'beat themselves up' daily on the sinful natures they hold. Like hollaring at their children out of anger and for loosing control. (eh hem, me) I can go for days, beating myself up over actions that have come and gone. I feel like a terrible parent, let alone a person sometimes. A person who claims that Christ is her Savior. Why do we (I) let ourselves allow sin to stake claim over our (my)life? God reminds me daily (I have it on a notecard on my desk) by a quote by Lee Strobel. "Instead of fixating on your struggles, focus on your Savior". I've posted this before. It's not old news. But it definitely needs to be 'new' everyday. So why do I have to think I'm bad, to make me feel like I'm humble? I don't want to think I'm (too) good, and be prideful. Where is that balance? How do you find that on a daily basis? I find myself searching God's word for the answer. Which is part of the plan, don't you think? It's not going to just 'come to us' without involving Him. The creator of man wants us to seek Him all the time. He wants to give us peace through His Word.
I've realized that God chose my children for me. And He chose me to be the mother of each of my boys. He already knew what kind of mother I'd be to these boys, and He still gave them to me!!! So, I find peace that even though I'm not that great of a mother most of the time, I was meant to be the mother of these boys. God does love me. Even when I feel unlovable. Let your treasure be God's Word. God will always provide what it takes to do whatever it is that He is calling you to do or be.
"For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also" Luke 12:34 NIV

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;" Psalm 34:18-19 NIV

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" Ephesians 4:2,3 NIV