Two-minute read.
“Ask God to help you keep your heart soft.”
When my therapist first said those words to me, I didn’t know what they meant. Early in our sessions together, I had some tough feelings towards people who hurt me, and I didn’t realize the toll carrying that hardness with me took on my life. Emotions like anger, hurt, envy, and jealousy had hardened my heart. Not until the therapist pointed out my blind spot did I begin the journey to softening my heart through forgiveness, mercy, and grace. As we worked together over the next few months, I dove into the hard places and asked God to help soften my heart, and He did, creating in me a tender, responsive one.
As life takes its toll on us, surviving one storm after another, we can quickly develop a hardened heart. If you think of an onion and all its layers, we can compare it to our hearts. Each time we get hurt or feel offended, another layer forms. Over time, the layers create a hardness in our souls. Where we once trusted easily and looked for the best in others, it has now turned into distrust and an expectation of the worst. However, God gives us a new heart and helps us find our way back to the expectant heart we once had as children.
If you spend any time around children, their pure, unscathed hearts trust easily and don’t look for ulterior motives. Kids take things at face value and have no problem telling you what they think. Soft and pliable, their hearts readily receive the seeds God wants to plant. And if they stay focused on the Savior, their hearts will remain soft as they lead with His grace and mercy. But typically, life happens, and things change, and we must tap into divine strength to keep our hearts tender.
Thankfully, we serve a Savior who will give us a new heart, no matter what the situation, and help it stay soft. As we encounter the challenges of life, instead of allowing them to harden our hearts, we can give our burdens to Jesus, and He will give us the tools we need to keep our hearts soft.
Forgiveness leads the way to tender hearts. First, the Lord forgives us, then we forgive others. As we embrace a life of grace with the Savior, keeping the Son in our eyes, He will replace our hardened hearts with a tender and responsive one, ready to receive the seed He wants to plant.
Journal Questions:
What has caused your heart to harden?
How can giving the burden to Jesus help soften your heart?
What can daily time with the Savior do to help you keep your heart soft?
Friendship Application:
Ask Jesus to keep your heart soft and pliable, ready to accept the seeds He wants to plant.
