Helen Keller, an American author once remarked: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.” Psalm 51:10 reminds us: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
A heart is defined as a singular hollow muscular organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. It is deemed of immense importance as it is one of the major sources for sustaining life. If it fails, an existence ceases to exist. It is a known factor that the heart, through its considered four main primary functions, provides a life-maintaining supply of oxygen and nutrients to major organs within the body and is believed by some to extraneously have a controlling effect over the mind. However, there is a pertinent phrase: “Don’t let your heart rule your mind,” which invokes a stern warning not to make important decisions based on one’s emotions. Many people firmly believe that emotions are ruled by the heart, albeit medical science dictates that the limbic system, known as a group of structures within the brain, regulate emotions, behavior, motivation and memory. It remains a conjectural issue and the palpable truth may never be correctly ascertained. However, the heart does play a significant role in emotions.
Whatever is deemed as the most probable, the resultant emotions do dictate a true element of life. Galatians 5:16-24 reminds us: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
A beating heart could also be compared to the speed of life. The speed of life dictates the rush at which changes or events are seen to occur. Some are dramatic and unexpected. These may induce an elevated heart rate through stress, nerves, anxiety or even fear. Life in the twenty-first century fast lane is regarded by many as a “rat race.” Rats are also known to possess fast heart rates. As a human’s heart pace quickens, possibly through exercise, new situations or other pertinent factors, it supplements the requirement for more oxygen, craved for within the body. Conversely, it represents a need for counteraction.
Counteraction can be achieved through the peace of God. If we seek God’s peace, our heart rate will decrease, His calming effect can fill our hearts with confidence and beneficence. But, perhaps more importantly, it can moderate our emotions. The detrimental aspects of life become less imposing and we can maintain a sense of calmness and well-being. John 16:25-33 reminds us: ““I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
A heart is deemed the usual symbol of love and affection, but its essence is said to be the core of our relationship with God and fellow man. If we don’t have love or affection in our hearts we are nothing, for it is the place where God’s love is stored to do its good works. Romans 5:1-5 reminds us: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Lisa Nichols, an American author and motivational speaker once remarked: “All the people in your life are truly doing the best they can with what they have. People can only love you to the capacity that they are able to love themselves. They can only forgive and embrace you to the capacity that they are able to forgive and embrace themselves. They can only give you what they have the capacity to give. You may think that you deserve more, and you may be correct. But that means nothing if a person simply doesn’t have the ability to give it to you.”
A beating heart is the core and source of life. It is the main reception point of God’s unconditional love, given to us through the Holy Spirit. The essential oxygen it transmits to all parts of the body can also bring life to others, its passion can ward off the evil or bad elements of life. Its commitment prevails often through many years, unceasingly. The channel of peace also flows through it with steadfast perseverance. The love within, that channels harmony also has the ability to become a useful instrument to aid world peace.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 reminds us: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Amen.
