Week 16 --- Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.



I've been thinking about what in life gives us a heart of stone. There's so much junk that goes on in the world and so many things that do't go as we plan. I think i've decided that a heart of stone is caused by bitterness. Failed relationships, unfulfilled dreams, unmet expectations, a long stretch of just average-ness... puts bitterness in our hearts and I think it starts to layer up if we don't do something about it. I also have been challenged in my life that confrontations and discussions that are difficult to have with those you love, need to happen or bitterness is left in its place. Even just the word bitter leaves an unpleasent feeling. There's a singer that I really like, who is
very much a "crooner", and she sings a song called Bitter Heart. It's quite the little novelty song, but it has some good lines.

Bitter heart, bitter heart tries to keep it all inside

Bitter heart, bitter heart shadows will help you try to hide,

Bitter heart, my bitter heart is just getting a little fragile,

Bitter heart, bitter heart of mine, of mine.

---Zee Avi

So with all this talk of bitterness, I want to know what to do to fix it. I'm constantly understanding spiritual terms better by learning their opposites. I may have mentioned this before. I really think the opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. And according to my learning of how I've let bitterness into my life, I think it also involves expression. So express and forgive. As easy as that. :) I think that's going to look really different in certain situations, but when I think of things, mostly relationships that have left me feeling bitter, I think an honest conversation and a relinquishing of my white-knuckle grip of anger on the situation and it begins the start of healing. I read a quote one time that bitterness is like drinking poison and then waiting for someone else to die. All it does is harm you.

To take this back to the original scripture it says that God will take our heart of stone from us and give us a new heart. Praise him for that!! I mean seriously. I feel like the only way I'm going to change sometimes is if he will flat out take the thing that's hurting me away from me. But he doesn't just take the old, he gives the new. And he will do it daily/hourly if that's what we need. I'm going to try to be more aware and thankful of the new heart that he has given me. It's His grace and love that I've been given that makes me want to express and forgive and not waste my time living a life with a heart of stone.