Heart Attack

I had a heart attack the other night – a Spiritual one.

My husband Mike and I were discussing future plans for TBYT, ones that will stretch us like never before.

Fearful and anxious thoughts barraged my mind like machine-gun bullets. Then I started feeling tightness try to grip my chest.

Heart attack of the Spiritual kind!

Proverbs 4:23 says:

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

According to this scripture, you can trace every issue in your life back to a past or current attitude of the heart. This is true even in weight loss.

Discouragement, self-sabotage, or lack of motivation are all heart problems.

But the good news is, you can strengthen your heart and prevent Spiritual heart attacks!

Before you learn about how to prevent these attacks, you need to understand their source.

First, a negative thought enters your mind. While you can’t help that, you can decide whether to agree with it or not.

If you disagree, the thought is rejected and goes away. You may have to do this multiple times because some thoughts are like persistent, unwanted house guests!

However, if you agree with the negative thought and meditate upon it, then it may find a lodging place within your heart.

That’s not good.

Your heart attitudes are comprised of your emotions and will.  Your heart drives your actions and determine the words you speak.

Both of these determine your results in life!

That is why it is critical that you heed the wisdom in 2 Corinthians 10:5:

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

To prevent future Spiritual heart attacks, you need to evaluate the thoughts that enter your mind.

If it is a lying thought (one that contradicts God’s word), stop welcoming it in and inviting it to stay for coffee!

Reject lying thoughts at the source through reminding yourself of the truth in God’s word. Do this as often as needed to prevent it from becoming the meditation of your heart.

Now what if you’ve discovered that you already have heart issues?

Here are 3 common issues and what to do about them:

• A Wayward Heart: This heart takes a shallow view of life. Even though the person confesses Jesus with their mouths, their hearts are far from Him. They are caught up in the world’s ways and heart attitudes.

To cure this condition, this person needs to purpose in their hearts that they want to live a life that is pleasing to God.

I recommend returning your heart to Jesus, recalling when you first believed: https://www.everystudent.com/features/gettingconnected.html.

Find your purpose in Him and pursue it with all of your heart.

• A Stony Heart: This heart is unbelieving, unforgiving, or ungrateful. Regarding unbelief, Hebrews 3:12 warns us:

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God”.

In the Lord’s presence is fullness of joy and His joy is our strength!

So fellowship with the Lord daily and remind yourself of His goodness. Being grateful also helps prevent or soften a hardening heart.

Finally, forgiving others quickly also breaks up stony ground in your heart.

Even though the other person may not “deserve” it in your mind, forgive them anyway out of obedience to God, reminding yourself of how much the Lord has forgiven you.

• A Thorny Heart: I think this is a heart we all need to watch out for especially in the fast-paced, deceiving, ever-changing world we live in!

Scripture says that God’s word is choked in a heart burdened with the world’s cares and the deceitfulness of riches (see Matthew 13:22). The cure for a thorny heart is found in John 14:27:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

So your daily job is to keep your heart untroubled and unafraid. How do you do that?

1 Peter 5:7 says:

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Cast your cares on the Lord through prayer.

To help yourself deal with fear, remember Isaiah 41:10:

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'”

Finally, regarding the deceitfulness of riches – it is often said that there is nothing wrong with having money; it’s allowing money to have you!

You can keep the weeds out of your heart through reminding yourself that God is your source, not money.

A scarcity mindset causes hoarding, but a giving mindset inspires generosity. Our God is generous, not a hoarder. So let’s be imitators of God as dear children.

I hope this article has shown you the importance of guarding your heart so that you can prevent Spiritual heart attacks. Let’s make King David’s wise words part of our daily prayer:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).”

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Taylor
Creator of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ program
https://takebackyourtemple.com/program

P.S. Are you ready to grow stronger Spiritually and heal emotionally as you achieve your ideal weight? Let the Take Back Your Temple program be your plan. God’s way is change from the inside out and once you are changed His way, you are never the same!

Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program