The Heart Knows. Advent Day 20. December 20, 2013.

The heart knows its own bitterness.

Proverbs 14:10

When I read this verse I couldn’t help but think about my own bitterness.

Of course I am familiar with some of it.

But I am also well aware that there is way more bitterness within than I care to admit.

I think this idea of bitterness encompasses more than just bitterness but rather,

all of our anger,

all of our sins,

and all of our failings.

I may put up a front,

but the heart knows.

It’s kind of like dieting with a friend and

sneaking some cookies without them seeing.

Your friend may never know that you cheated on your diet,

but your body will.

An interesting connection between the body and the heart is this-

neither lie.

I might lie about what I eat;

my body won’t.

I might lie about my bitterness;

my heart won’t.

Whether it’s a cookie or a sin,

you will be ratted out.

I’ve learned this the hard way (both examples!)

But through those mistakes,

I have learned how to make this apparent conflict a bit easier.

I haven’t learned perfection,

but I am working on progress.  

I’ve learned that the more the heart is in sync

with the mind

and our body

and our actions,

the less conflict and contradiction there will be.

The more we are willing to admit what the heart already knows,

the more we can make progress on our missions

and become better Christians.

The longer we deny the fact that

the heart truly knows our bitterness,

the bigger the web of lies that we become entangled in.

The truth might initially seem harder

than ignoring what the heart truly knows.

But in the long run,

admitting the truth,

no matter how hard it may be,

will result in a better outcome.

What does your heart know

that you are trying to suppress?

What is the hard, cold truth

that is waiting to set you free?

What does YOUR heart know?