Prescription For the Heart
Anita HelmWhen you think of your past, current and future, the only common denominator that has been constant is GOD. Whether you believe in GOD, speak to Him, or invite Him into your daily plans, HE’S THERE and aware of everything happening intimately with you.
As I continue progressing through my faith journey, which is compounded with my grief processing, I recognize the common denominator. I have been looking inside on my attitudes, my motives, and my own heart care.
Something I’ve recognized is that I need to make sure that I need to be honest, self-assured, whole, fully trusting in GOD, valuing myself and not performance based.
In my teaching on relationships I speak about the 1st Relationship of Yourself. That personal relationship with yourself is the foundation of everything you build.
The 1st Relationship of Yourself is not a statement that contradicts that the LORD says in Matthew 6 to seek first the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness. The scripture is telling you and I as His children to seek HIM first. He’s telling YOU - the Person -- to seek all of Him.
When we seek Him, we have to avoid the temptation of only seeking what’s in HIS HANDS. He says seek first the Kingdom and His Righteousness. Those 2 things are NOT for sale and aren’t about handouts. They are dimensional and spiritual. Seeking first spiritual and not temporal things that go beyond this span of time and space is freaking hard to understand.
If you’re lost, I’m speaking about this life AND the afterlife. Here is where the blow your mind emoji should pop out. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ETERNAL and He’s asking us to put in the first priority to seek something we don’t even understand the concept. I’m not a preacher so I can only talk to you from the Fred Flintstone level.
I talk about relationships so let me work from there. Most of us only can think about the temporary stuff and especially with relationships. We seek but the seeking is to get or to feel. Any relationship whether romantic or other, shouldn’t be about getting but about being and giving. That’s where we get off track with GOD. We seek a lot on transactional basis so it’s hard to imagine loving GOD and Him loving us as anything but Give and Take.
He gave His Son without asking us to buy Him or give anything else other than our trust and belief that He loves us. That’s pretty difficult to grasp with the hearts we have in place. Any time of the day all of us live and breathe with the ulterior motives of “TAKING.” Yes as we grow in spiritual maturity that impulse simmers down, but we all have to be careful not making things about us. GOD’S salvation was more about saving us than letting HIS existence be easy. Jesus went through a lot and didn’t take His eyes off the love He had for us.
Knowing how selfish we all tend to be that was a dangerous proposition, but He loved us in a way our hearts can’t really understand. Yes Christians all say we get it, but I don’t think until we close our eyes for the last and see Him will we really get the depth of it.
What about the heart and its common denominator of GOD needs an examination today? Well, I will let you in on something personal. I have been struggling with something for months and when I have these dilemmas I go to GOD. I also have my Anita Talks. The talks are laced with the WORD, a little Dr. Anita and open honesty about what I don’t often say out loud. Well this morning’s conversation or prayer-internal session was asking myself why I was demeaning one relationship type over the other.
If you don’t understand the differing relationship types just look at your phone log history. On your recent calls you’ll see family names, friends, lovers, co-workers, classmates, service providers, spam, the list could go on and on. Each one of those different calls grabs your attention and to what degree of intimacy or lack thereof you have with the caller on the other end.
We make the distinction, and we give or hold back the interaction. Our walls are up or down dependent on the trust you have for the other side. I feel unanointed on this part of the discussion, so I’ll pivot to the vulnerable part of this message. In my case, I’m ripping the band aid off!
I’ve been internally struggling on something that GOD has been aware of and I’m just coming to grips with over the course of these many months. The issue I suppose may have been building for a lifetime, but no time like the present to tackle big mountains.
In my sometime frail constitution, I have forgotten or may never have deeply understood that GOD’s love and devotion to me outweighs anybody else’s that has “EVER” come into and left my life. I really hate when I write a simple sentence that takes decades to understand in my SOUL. This understanding of HIS devotion and love hits hollow when I don’t want it to...but truly with the people I have deeply loved and treasured have gone on The reality is that even with those wonderful and loves of my lifetime -their love can never compete with HIS. GOD probably says they never stood a chance. It was my clay dirt brain that put those folks on pedestals they couldn’t hold onto. That’s what we temporal nerds do.
I’m coming to appreciate how we Christians and non-Christians underestimate GOD and don’t really grasp how BIG a deal He actually is.
Whenever people hear the words GOD Cares, do we really digest what all that means. We hear religious globblyguuk in our ears sometimes, but the Creator of everything to include you and I cares about everything going on with us. The small and the not so small.
On the days where I lose sight about being a woman with a price far above rubies – He whispers don’t sell yourself short Daughter.
On the days I’m questioning what’s this and that about – He whispers trust Me – it’s part of the journey.
On the days I’m undone by what I don’t understand, the why – He whispers I know – that’s what’s important.
On the days like today when I need reassurance – He fills me with the warmth of His Spirit. He holds me with the Love of His Son. He whispers in His small still voice Anita I’m right here.
So how does this apply to seeking first the Kingdom of GOD and His Righteousness? What is the Prescription for the Heart? What does the confusion of this all mean?
Well Patients let me share the diagnosis:
Our hearts seek love.
Our hearts seek meaning.
Our hearts seek connection.
Our hearts seek compassion.
Our hearts seek fulfillment.
Our hearts seek joy.
Our hearts seek understanding.
Our hearts seek peace.
Our hearts seek what only GOD can give.
Our hearts seek Our Creator.
He tells us seek first the Kingdom of GOD and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.
So thank you LORD. You told us about the Prescription for the Heart. Thank you LORD for allowing us to have what our hearts need for this life now and forevermore.
Thank you for the Prescription for the Heart.