I was painting today, and while experimenting with what I was working on, I realised that I like smooth blended edges and seeing how the colours merge together.
It caused me to reflect that having smooth, blended edges in life is also important, especially when considering our hearts' condition.
It's all too easy to have issues that, if not dealt with, can create rocky emotions, mindsets and, eventually, a hard heart. Rather than things in our life blending and meshing in unity and harmony, we will have rocky, sticky edges poking out from us that both damage our life and harm those around us when they get too close.
Jesus talked about these rough places we can have and how dangerous they can be when he told the parable of the farmer going out to sow some seed in the ground. He described the importance of having the soil in the right condition for the best harvest. (Matthew 13)
Jesus used this analogy of the seed and the Sower to warn us to guard the condition of our hearts because they can easily become full of the rocks of undealt with issues, offence and unforgiveness; it acts just like rocks and weeds in the soil. Any seed sown will not have an opportunity to grow properly because it'll be crowded out by the "stuff" already in the soil. Nothing can take root because the seed, as it germinates, won't be able to sink its roots in properly to be able to grow.
Today if you know you have some jagged edges caused by "rocks" finding their way into your life and you've become prickly and hard, spend some time tossing these issues and the causes of them out of your life, much like you would pick up and remove rocks that were right in the middle of your garden where you wanted to plant seeds.
"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. “(Hebrews 12:12-15)
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)
Today if you know you have some sticky edges caused by "rocks" finding their way into your life and you've become prickly and hard, spend some time tossing these issues out of your life, much like you would pick up and remove rocks that were right in the middle of your garden where you wanted to plant seeds. You may not be able to control everything, but you can control how you respond and how you choose to keep your heart soft. (Proverbs 4:23)
Jesus will help you; he sees our hearts as clearly as we see faces and is an expert at healing and restoring. He makes our rocky places smooth so our relationships and life mesh together and causes things to flourish where once nothing grew. (Isaiah 35-1:10)
"The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth." (Isaiah 40:4)
"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10)
Prayer: Lord, thank you that you smooth the jagged places in my heart out and heal any broken and rocky parts of my heart so I can be healthy and whole and receive what you say. Please help me have a soft heart so that I can know you better and be someone people benefit from knowing and enjoy being in a relationship with. In Jesus' name Amen.
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