New Year, New Heart
It’s a new year. The calendar has flipped to 2019, and so often this leads us to reflect on the prior year and the changes we desire to make in the New Year. That coupled with our latest series here at Epic, Chain Reaction, got my proverbial wheels turning. So often when we begin the new year, our focus is on appearance and physical health, but often times we focus solely on the physical and in the process we completely ignore our spiritual health. Spiritual health is however, just as if not more important. As I began thinking about both of these areas I recognized that the process in making changes in both areas are remarkably similar. Both can be transformed radically by making small, yet powerful changes. And just like I may trade in my habit of eating donuts for breakfast, for acai bowls in an attempt to change my physical health, I can add or change up some habits in order to better my spiritual health too.
Change starts in the heart
Before we dive into specifics, first we must all face some tough truths about change. I’ve been told numerous times when I’ve wanted to shed a few pounds that I need to start in the kitchen. What I eat is big factor in how successful I’ll be in making lasting changes in my physical appearance. In the same way, the Bible tells us that true, lasting spiritual change ALWAYS begins in the heart. However, our hearts are complicated, messy and difficult to change. The prophet Jeremiah says that our hearts are “desperately sick” (JeremiahHYPERLINK "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+17%3A9&version=ESV" 17:9) and that no man is able to understand it. Jesus Himself gave His own description of our hearts in
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
So if I’m sick and I cannot understand how to change my heart, is my situation hopeless? God forbid! In part 2 we'll talk about the Great Physician and the lifelong process of our hearts being changed.
Have you recognized the need in your life for a new heart?
Written By: Cal Renner
Communications Team Member
