DEALING WITH SPIRITUAL HEART DISEASE

Hebrews 3:12-15

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:

    "Today, if you hear his voice,

        do not harden your hearts

    as you did in the rebellion."

                According to the Heart Foundation, heart disease is the number one cause of death in both men and women in the United States. In 2011, approximately 787,000 people died of heart disease. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds and every 60 seconds someone dies from a heart related event. Heart disease is a significant issue. One of the main causes of heart problems is the hardening of arteries; known as atherosclerosis. Plaque builds up in the inside of arteries, causing them to narrow. This leads to restricted blood flow, and can cause a blockage, which can be fatal.

                As significant as heart disease is, spiritual heart disease is worse. The Bible warns us against allowing our hearts to become hard and unreceptive to God’s voice. Just like physical heart disease, there are reasons why our hearts can become hard.

                Our hearts can become hard because of disappointment. This may take the form of disappointment with people, with the church, or with God. We all have certain expectations that we hold onto. When these expectations are not met, we experience disappointment. Disappointment is like plaque in the heart. When it is not properly dealt with, it builds up and causes spiritual heart failure.

                Our hearts can become hard because of complacency. A lack of physical exercise will ultimately damage our hearts. A lack of spiritual exercise will harden our hearts. We become comfortable with the status quo. We choose not to inconvenience ourselves or expend too much effort. The longer we remain spiritually complacent, the harder our hearts will become.

                Our hearts can become hard because of anger and other negative emotions. One of the things medical science has discovered is the corollary between our emotions and our physical heart. A person who is always angry and stressed has a much higher possibility of heart disease than someone who has a calmer demeanor. The same is true spiritually. As Paul tells us, "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

                The Bible gives us some practical instructions for dealing with spiritual heart disease. Over all, we need to listen to what God has to say to us about the matter. Many people fail to listen to their doctor, and then face negative consequences. As the writer of Hebrews quotes, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

                We need the right diet. The source of our spiritual health is God’s Word. It alerts us to danger, realigns our lives, and instructs us in godly living. We need a regular diet of God’s Word, if we are going to have strong hearts. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11)

                We need to right perspective on life. There are many fad diets that promise amazing results, yet often cause more damage. The same is true spiritually. We can become sidetracked by spiritual fad diets. Instead we need to stay focused on the solid truths of God’s Word. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

                We need to exercise our spiritual muscles. Muscles that are unused atrophy. The same is true spiritually. Every doctor will tell you that one of the best things you can do for your heart is exercise. One of the best things you can do spiritually is exercise your spiritual muscles. This includes things like prayer, study, and worship. But it goes beyond those basics. Every believer has been given certain spiritual gifts that God wants us to use for the good of the church and for His glory. We can keep our heart strong by exercising those gifts on a regular basis.

                We need to deal positively with our emotions. Our emotions influence our actions. The two are linked. Therefore, we need to develop healthy emotional lives. The resources to accomplish this have already been given to us by the Holy Spirit. It is up to us to develop these healthy emotional habits so that we can maintain a strong heart. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

                We need each other to stay on track. Accountability is essential to good health, both physically and spiritually. Having others who encourage us to keep growing spiritually is a major safeguard against developing a hard heart. Isolation is one of Satan’s primary weapons against believers. Having others walking with us through the challenges of life can keep us on track. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

                Every time I go to the doctor for a checkup, the nurse takes my blood pressure to measure how my heart is doing. We need to be regularly checking our spiritual blood pressure. How is your heart doing? What do you need to do to guard against developing a hard heart?