3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
A heart transplant is a life changing, major, major event. My cousin's recent heart transplant at the very young age of 22 reminded me of the heart transplant I have undergone through the work of the Holy Spirit. In both transplants, God's sovereignty reigned and still reigns and his purpose for us both, though unknown in it's fullness to us, continues on each day as we continue in obedience.
As my heart continues to be transformed by the Father, I am saddened to become aware of what others think they 'see' in my heart or what is assumed about my heart's condition. What a gift in disguise it might be to have a heart from whom, the history of that heart is unknown? No idea of the behaviors, attitudes, past decisions, judgements that heart was a part of are known about that heart's life before it reached my cousin, thus to all of us its a pure, clean, fresh heart - no negativity attached, no strings attached. It is simply (simply in a HUGE way) a brand new heart. No preconceived notions to turn around and no barriers to break down. It is at face value, a new heart, nothing more, nothing less. But it still the responsibility of the beholder to reject or accept that new heart.
Our Father began his work on my heart when I met my husband, and in our journey as a married couple, his heart was overhauled as well. Our hearts DID hold deceit, lies, secrets, selfishness, pride, envy, control, fear, failure, blame, guilt, insecurities, hatred, perverse speech, vanity....you name it, it was there; the curse of being attached to this world, whether by a large anchor or a tiny piece of thread.
But clearly to us, God's miracle in all of it was that he had a purpose for us, much beyond anything we could have ever imagined and he threw us into the fire and willingly we went in it and through it! Unlike Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo who didn't get even the smell of smoke on them from the fire, my husband and I were charred! Broken, brittle, ugly, dark and brought to ashes before being restored into gold, refined by the fire.
He has now filled our hearts with his purpose, a desire for his work, a genuine love for his children and the desire to live, only with the help of his Counselor, the Spirit, like Jesus lived. Asking questions, being bold, being misunderstood more often than not, feeling alone, bringing love with a charge, loving our friends while leading them forward to him by modeling intentional change - swimming against the current. And the question/the responsibility that walks in front of us to all we cross....accept our new hearts or reject them?
If we could allow you a window into our hearts now, this is what you would find:
2 Corinthians 12:19
Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.
The strings to this world, I've referred to them before as 'Human Traditions' manifest themselves in thoughts like this: I can't trust my friends. They don't really care about me. They're only looking out for themselves, just like me. Isn't that what everyone is doing? They don't really know what I'm going through, my life is completely different from theirs; my experience is different and they have no idea what I'm going through. What worked for them is surely not going to work for me, they're just trying to make me feel better. They really don't have any idea what it's like to struggle; they've never truly struggled in their lives. There has got to be some reason why my friend would want to help me - you know the 'what's in it for me?', I'm sure there's something my friend will benefit out of the advice they're trying to give me. Why would my friend say something so mean? What kind of advice is that? Who are they to tell me how to live my life? What do they know about what I'm going through anyway. Who do they think they are?! I don't need to change a thing about myself. Why are they so judgemental? They have no right to make such conclusions. ---
Sound 'of the world' to you? Full of pride, defensiveness, control, fear...
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
How do you know how deep into conformity you are? If conformity is the sign that you are sucked into this world and have more strings tied to this world than to eternity, would you want to know? And how can you even begin to figure out how 'conformed' you are?
A great place to start is with how you treat those you call your true friends.
Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Do you allow your true friends to be truthful with you, even when it hurts? Are you vulnerable with them so that through them God can bring change to you?
Proverbs 27:9
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
Do you trust that your friend, who loves you at all other times and you've felt that love, also loves you in this hard time when they tell you something you don't want to hear, BUT NEED to hear? We all want to feel rosy and warm, especially with our friends, but if our friends can't be the ones to set us straight sometimes, then who CAN be?
And consider this - if our friend, whom we love so much, enough to call on them for advice and share life's more personal times with, enough to know that even though years have passed and we haven't always been in touch consistently but we know they'll be there when we need them - that kind of friend - if we can't trust the goodness in the heart of our bestie at ALL times........how in the world do we think we can trust a friend we can't even prove with any tangible measure exists??!?! If we can't hold enough faith in a friend we can see and touch to trust the goodness in them, how is it that we expect to hold faith in the goodness of a friend we will never see and touch this side of heaven?
This reminds me of another parable from the Word:
Luke Ch 16: 19-31 (only some of it is below)
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Even if someone rises from the DEAD, they will not listen? Now that's a serious level of worldly conformity? Or is it that serious (the world would say)? How deep into conformity are you? How dead are you?
Don't wait until you get to hell to find out like the rich man did! Ask yourself the hard, ugly questions today AND answer them HONESTLY, today! Is God trying to speak to you through someone but you do not want to listen?
