What is needed for a healthy heart?

Our hearts are receiving less attention, yet they are the source of life physically (definition of being dead = a heart that has stopped) and life spiritually (Prov. 4:23).

Compare your heart to the engine of a car. The engine needs fuel, water, oil and regular maintenance. Why do we then neglect our hearts?

We usually only realize how important our hearts are when we make a change to give it more attention and the right attention.

A healthy heart considers the environment and others as much as it takes care of itself. it is as much outward focusses as it is inward focused. The concern with the SELF only in terms of what things look like and what is fake therefore automatically means that we give less attention to our heart. As a result, our hearts suffer.

Neither the engine of a car nor our hearts can work if we don't take care of them. If the engine of a car stops running, no amount of washing it, polishing it, talking about, writing about it and taking pictures of it will make it move. The same applies to our hearts.

You cannot only focus on what it looks like on the outside.

1 Cor. 13:1 and 1 Corinthians 13 is about whatever we do and if there is no heart or love in what we do, it is dead and meaningless.

Matt 23:27 - are we like whitewashed tombs, beautiful outwardly and inside dead?

1 Sam 16:7 - Good looks at the heart, not at the outward appearance.

If your heart matters that much to God, surely you should take more care of it too.

What do our hearts need:

• Relationships with others (spouse, family, friends, business etc.)

• To be known

• Activities that nurture and grow, e.g. hobbies

• Environments of joy and peace

• Love and intimacy (God is love - 1 John 4:8; John 3:16)

• Passion and Compassion

• Higher purpose

• Our hearts need God

There is so much around us to grow and nurture our hearts. What works for you?