
16 Nov BREAKING: Election Results Reveal Heart Issues
Happy Saturday ☀️ I love you and I’m glad you’re here today… and I’m gonna talk about the election. Yeah, that one. Specifically us Christians, followers of Jesus, and how we’re walking it out, or not, “in a manner worthy of God who has called you…” (Ephesians 4:1). I write to those who are celebrating and to those who are grieving—because there are both in the body of Christ. So, my heart in this matter is what’s going on in our hearts. Please stay with me.
The Heart of the Matter is a Matter of the Heart
Have you ever been thrown off by something—either good or not so good? Maybe thrown off by someone or something that has shaken your confidence, your trust, your faith, or captivated your mind and emotions? A relationship thing? A career thing? A family thing? A financial thing? A political thing? Something that’s left you shocked, confused, and hurt. Or, thrown off by something that has taken you to the opposite extreme; something that has captivated you, consumed your time, attention, your thoughts and conversation, and your passion?
When I say thrown I mean thrown off your center; the place where Almighty God is to be seated in the life of a believers; the place where the King of kings and Lord of lords holds safely the reign and the rule over our life—our heart, mind, will and emotions.
Nothing shows us our true heart like our reactions to life. Nothing shows us our true self like the matters of life that tend to take us to extremes. Whether it’s winning or losing, hopes fulfilled or hopelessness, celebration or cursing…how we—as believers—react and respond to what comes or goes in life is the telltale sign of where our hope is anchored, and in what, or who we believe.
Extremes of anything can throw us off and blow us off course from our center when our hearts aren’t anchored in Christ.
We All Have the Right to Celebrate and to Grieve
The election results have revealed heart issues. Some people are happy over the results of the election, and others are not. Nevertheless, we all have the right to celebrate, and we all have the right to grieve—rightly.
Personally, while I’m pleased with the outcome of the election, I am grieved for so many people—so many believers—who have been devastated by this election on many levels. People I know who are unable to cope and needing time off from work or school to process things. I have friends who’ve been written off and told off by their own children. I know people who have both uninvited, and been uninvited by, family members for holiday gatherings; I have friends who have severed friendships and left churches all in the name of political differences—on both sides.
Likewise, I know Christians who just can’t pull themselves away from politics and who have smugly celebrated in ungodly ways.
Sisters and brothers—this should not be so! Neither is right or good. Wake up…look at what’s really happening. Where is your heart? This is not how we, as Jesus’s followers, walk out our faith (i.e. belief and trust in God). Our hope is to be built on and anchored deep in nothing less than Jesus Christ.
Is yours? Is mine?
The way that some in the church are reacting to the results of this election is a much bigger issue than our political differences. It’s an issue of our heart, and our witness for Jesus Christ.
Who or what has captivated you?
What we think about, talk about, text about, read about, obsess about, and love… more than God, is an idol.
What we idolize, we become captive to. Whatever is central in our life, whatever we’ve given the focus of our time, our attention, our life, or our heart to becomes an all-consuming force that will find its way into every area of our life. And whatever it is, has the power to hold us firm or shatter us.
But, if it’s God, He will hold us firm in every area of our life. If it’s a human being, they will ultimately let us down at some point, in some way.
Do not give the control of your life over to anything or anyone but the only One deserving of your all-consuming passion and trust. There is only One completely faithful and true, and who will never let you go. He is all-in-all. Make Him your all-in-all.
What Has Your Heart?
What has the hope and joy of your heart been anchored to lately? Take your faith pulse right now. How fast is your heart beating— and for what and why does it beat?
What was your first response this morning? Did you turn on the news, pick up your phone to read more of the headlines? Did you phone a friend to fuel the flame of either euphoria or despair by talking and texting about it again, and again, and again.
Think about your life—your everyday life. Who or what is leading you every single day and throughout the day. I’ll tell you what will give you the best idea of what’s leading you: What is the first thing you do everyday?
Friends, we have got to stop and recalibrate under God— to pledge our allegiance to Him every day, and stand firm in our faith—trusting God, and believing God in everything. No. Matter. What.
So, first thing, before your feet hit the floor in the morning, answer the question of authority over your life. If you give God that authority (and you’d be so unwise not to), then, the next thing you do is talk to Him. Take time to be with Him. Before you talk to people (and that means social media and texting), talk to God.
If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (Isaiah 7:9).
One More Thing
Above all else, guard your heart,
for out of it spring the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat are real. But we can’t live on either. Scripture continually reminds us to guard your heart, and keep your heart in the right place. So, whether we grieve or whether we celebrate—we’ve got to stay anchored to the certain hope of Christ. Remember, as a God’s child, saved by the blood of Christ, your name is written in heaven. That is the reason for true celebration in all of life (see Luke 10:17-20); and that is the certain hope we have when we feel our hope has been lost.
🩷 “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21
🩷 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 43:5)
I leave you with another verse from my favorite hymn— Be Thou My Vision:
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
Where our eyes are fixed, our heart will follow…and so our life will go. Fix your eyes on Jesus, my friend. Fix your eyes on Jesus. May your best thoughts—by day or by night—be him.
Until next week— don’t forget that you are greatly and dearly loved by The King! And let’s live our beautiful, ordinary lives like women who believe it!
I love you!
xo – P❤️