The Heart.

Spiritual development is about the condition of your heart.

"I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,"  Ezekiel 11:19 (NRSV)

A heart of stone is a heart imprisoned by fear.

Fear of being hurt, fear of being rejected, fear of violence, fear of threat, fear of ridicule, fear of pain....

But most of all it is a heart that wants to receive love.

But when we learn that to give love is even better than to receive we begin to open our hearts to others.

This is a heart of flesh.

 

A heart that sees other peoples' pain and feels compassion.

A heart that has understanding.

A  heart that cares.

And this leads to action.

To truth-telling and good works.

So learn to overcome your fears.

For love is stronger than fear.

And Love is the nature of God.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Photo Credit: whatemoji.org