Chaplain Ronnie Melancon
By: Chaplain Ronnie Melancon
We all have drawn, or at least received, a picture of a “Heart” as a symbol of love. We have said, “that breaks my heart” or “I surrender my heart,” but have you ever thought about what the “Heart” actually is. In scripture, the bible says the Lord looks at the heart.
The heart of man is the center of his being. It is your Mind, Will, and Emotions. Your deepest Thoughts, Desires, and Feelings. It is who you really are.
You cannot change, if your heart does not change. So how do you change your heart? I often teach that if you make the effort, God will make the difference. God changes the heart through the power of His Holy Spirit, but it does require some things from us.
Andy Stanley wrote a book about the heart and he teaches there are four things that pollute the heart:
Guilt – Anger – Greed – Jealousy
Guilt says “ I owe you.” Want to lose a friend? Loan them some money. If people owe you and can’t pay you, they usually hide from you. Adam and Eve hid in the garden from God because they were guilty. The Lord made them confess their guilt and they found forgiveness.
The Antidote for Guilt is Confession. It is hard to live with a guilty heart. Confession can help it.
Anger says “You owe me”. The Antidote is Forgiveness. God said he would forgive you according to the way you forgive others. Out of control anger is a sign of un-forgiveness.
Greed says “I owe me”. I deserve this. Like the seagulls on Nemo “MINE! Mine! MINE! Mine!” Be Generous to soften the greedy heart. God gives to you as you learn to give to others. Jesus said, ”It is more blessed to give than to receive.“ The Antidote is Generosity.
Jealousy says ”God owes me”. Jealousy defined as demanding complete devotion. Cain killed his brother Able because he was jealous that God honored Able and not him. A jealous heart assassinates the character of those someone is jealous toward.
It will ultimately destroy you! The only way to overcome jealousy is to celebrate the success of others. Never attack another person’s character. Be kind in your speaking of others and you will overcome the polluting Power of Jealousy. The Antidote is Celebrating Others’ Successes.
Character struggles are heart problems. These four antidotes will better your heart and your quality of life. Now as Dr. Laura would say, ”Go take on the World.”
Lord Bless,
Chaplain Ronnie Melancon,
Originally posted at Help For Your Heart