"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV).Lose Heart.
Such an odd phrase. I think depending on where you are at in your life this statement could mean a variable of things to you. It made me think of the tin man in the Wizard of Oz. Poor guy just wanted to feel something. He wanted a heart—to love.
So is that the "heart" of the matter? Love? Emotion? What does ‘take heart’ really mean? Here’s a personal perspective on the matter. I would say emotions, good or bad, are a product of the heart. Heartbreak sucks. Most of us can attest to that. Heartache, pain, anxiety and anger, when we really look to their root, tend to stem from the heart.
If we lose heart then we’ve lost hope. To me, it’s a loss of the good emotions and instead, we embrace and succumb to the bad. When we’ve lost heart in our own lives, we make a choice to let the fleeting emotions of pain, anger or whatever, take over. The tin man wanted a heart because he wanted to feel love but really just to feel. Can you imagine not knowing what love feels like? Or the joy that comes in friendship?
Ok—I’m beginning to babble, lets backtrack…
If God is love and God lives in each of us, we always have love. Love is the hope that lies within. So when we lose heart we’ve lost sight of that love. We’ve absentmindedly (or purposefully) allowed circumstances to overcome this love. Think of it this way; when you get angry or hurt by someone you embrace that negative. I do this in my own life. I decide to ignore all of the joy, love and great things that person has done in the course of our relationship and instead focus on their mistake for in that moment. I lose heart. I lose hope in that love and succumb to the easy out… good old bitterness, grudges and unforgiveness.
We do this not only in the relationships of our everyday lives but also in our relationship with God. When life seems to not only be giving you lemons but squeezing them in your eye as well, the heart often becomes hard towards God and His will for our lives. Doubt and animosity creep in and before you know it they’re running the heart.
My solution for this is pretty basic. Remember the eternal and forget the fading. Anger fades- hope doesn’t. Pain is temporary- hurt heals. Happiness is fleeting- joy is eternal. Bad decisions come and go – grace is unending. People fail – God doesn’t. Jesus said it like this,
“I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world" (John 16:33 MSG).
When you begin to lose heart, remember where it lies—in God. He makes his home there. Don’t lose Him. Don’t forget His promise to care and guard it. Allow Him to renew you to give you peace. Moreover, carry that over into your day to day relationships with others… Forgive easily. Love unconditionally. Spread kindness. Give generously. Hope, even in doubt.
Don’t lose heart-- Take it.
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