Heart Trends

I’ll admit it: my emotions have been topsy-turvy during this global crisis. Have yours? Some days I have felt strong and brave and other days I’ve felt vulnerable and anxious.

Now more than ever we would do well to pay attention to the trajectory of our hearts. Yes of course you and I can get different readings on the emotional levels of our hearts depending on when we take a peek under the hood, so to speak. But are we keeping track of any larger trends going on in there? Are our fluids trending lower and lower? How are we purposefully refilling and replenishing our hearts?

We are told to guard our hearts with all diligence (Prov. 4:23)! We would all do well to take some quiet, honest time before the Father and examine the trends in our hearts right now. Maybe these questions will help spur some helpful introspection:

1. In general, is this crisis leading me to seek God more than I was seeking him before I even knew the word coronavirus? Am I taking my worry to Jesus?
2. When I feel the desire to escape the pressures of stress, what am I doing with those desires?
3. Am I growing in my ability to mourn with those who mourn?
4. How am I honoring the rhythms of sabbath and stillness as a means to rest in God?
5. Am I spending more time on political blame/intrigue or conspiracy theories than on seeking God and serving others?
6. Is my heart becoming calloused and hard towards those I disagree with?
7. Am I growing my appetite for entertainment more than my appetite for spiritual nourishment?
8. Am I letting stress or boredom drive me to an unhealthy relationship with food, sex, alcohol, or media?
9. Am I becoming more closed off and emotionally distant?
10. If dark, scary, despondent, or self-harming thoughts occupy my mind, am I taking those thoughts captive to the obedience of Jesus and seeking help from trusted friends?

Good news: even if we are seeing trends going the wrong way, Jesus is available to renew and restore; call out to him! By grace, let’s trust that this will not be a wasted season of life, but instead a time of immense growth.