Your “Heart Condition”

19 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.
20 Death and Destruction[b] are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants.

While chasing prey, cheetahs can run about 60 miles per hour, but only in short spurts. This fast cat’s speed is limited to sprints because of its small heart. Endurance at that speed would require a larger heart.

The Christian’s life of obedience calls for endurance. It cannot afford the “heart condition” of a small heart, possibly engaging only in a spurt now and then. Proverbs talks about a person’s life as a reflection of his or her heart.

Talking about someone’s “heart condition” and how it shows in their life, one might ask, “How big-hearted is he?” or “Does she have the heart for it?”

A physical heart condition may prevent someone from strenuous activity, but a spiritual heart condition is more dangerous.

For example, if we have a heart condition that makes us miserly, we are not apt to share from the abundance we have been given. On the other hand, a heart condition that leads to sharing the joy of Jesus, who lives in our hearts, gives us the stamina for a life of faithful obedience.

Who or what has your heart? Remember, we should “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Filled with his unconditional love, we’ll have a large, well-conditioned heart!

Faithful Father, thank you for people in our lives who demonstrate hearts of compassion and obedience. Grant us the largeness of heart to be what you want us to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.