When Our Heart Knows

Did you ever know something in your heart but your head just wouldn’t listen? Most times we know in our hearts without a doubt that something is not good for us. Maybe it’s a behavior, a repetitive cycle in our lives, or even a relationship. We won’t get into the why’s now, but we just know it’s not adding to our life and only taking away.

In our heart, we may know that a relationship is unhealthy for us, but our minds cry out: “You aren’t worthy of love, so hold on to what you have even if it’s unhealthy. It’s the best you’ll ever get.”

In our heart, we may know that our desperate pursuit of things other than God is negatively affecting our lives, and yet our mind makes excuses saying: “I need this_____________(fill in the blank) to have any semblance of peace in my life. Without it/them I’ll crumble.”

Our heart may weigh heavy telling us this behavior pattern and cycle we’ve been living out is no longer working for us, but our mind says:  “This is the life you’ve been given and all that you’re destined for so just accept it.”

Those are all LIES, friends. And the Bible says that satan is the “father of all lies.” His goal is to live out his plan for destruction in and through us. If we look we may even see how things we’ve struggled with have affected generations of our family in some way or another and even that may cause our minds to scream: “See you’ll never be free!” But God says, “Who the Son sets free is free indeed!”

Jesus, our perfect example said that satan “found nothing in me (John 14:20).” No matter the temptation or pressure Jesus faced, He stayed the course and did not stumble. He’s our perfect example of spiritual, physical, and, emotional health. He didn’t have any buttons, triggers, or open doors in His life that controlled Him. Instead, He was led by the Spirit of God and could walk in freedom (John 5:19, Matthew 4:1). It’s the hurts, wrong mindsets, and untempered desires in us that keep us bound and in unhealthy patterns that set our lives up for pain and failure. We may look at our life and see the destruction, knowing in our heart it’s not God’s will for us, yet the war in our soul rages. These ungodly thought patterns and beliefs control the way we see and respond to life. They foster emotions in us that cause us to cling desperately to unhealthy things. They cause us to live a life less than God’s best for us. As we embrace the lies and surrender our will to the unhealthy, they become strongholds that imprison us. Sometimes it may be hard to see a way out, but God promises He’ll always make a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God calls us to a higher way of living. One not dictated by our soul, but ruled by the Spirit of God in us. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom, friend! The Spirit of the Living God lives in every born-again believer and it’s by His Spirit, we’re empowered to live higher than our soul can ever take us. Thoughts and feelings will betray us and lead us astray because they’re determined by the external and change like the wind. It’s our born-again spirit, connected to the Spirit of God, that is solid and sure because His job is to always lead us into God’s truth (John 16:12-15).

In fact, that “knowing” in your heart has been the very unction of the Holy Spirit calling you to you this higher way of living (1 John 2:20-21). God doesn’t leave us wondering and wandering in this life. The Bible is God’s handbook for our lives. His Word is a light to our path and illuminates the way to wholeness and success. The Word of God teaches us how to live beyond the dictates of this world that tempt and taunt our minds and emotions to live according to a pattern we were never meant to live. It’s the god of this world’s plan to deceive men and lead them down a path of destruction. But you and I, my friend, have the power to CHOOSE life, rather than destruction. We have the ability to live from our spirits and shut out the voices of the enemy that plague our minds and emotions. When our hearts tell us one thing but our mind cries out another, we’re not powerless. We are empowered by the Spirit of God to choose the life and blessing God has set before us. ( Deuteronomy 30:19, Zechariah 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:7).

These three things have helped me in my own walk as I’ve been on this journey to spiritual, emotional, and physical wholeness. It’s a lifelong journey that God promises to walk with us hand in hand until Jesus comes back (Philippians 1:6). God wants our spirit, soul, and body to be whole, so we can say like Jesus, “Satan has found nothing in me.” So we can live the life He’s made possible for us to live through Jesus and can point others to Him so that they can too.

# 1 – RECOGNIZE: This is our starting point. We recognize something is not healthy or good for us. It doesn’t line up with what God’s Word tells us. God’s word is our measuring tape for everything. It’s the truth that stands forever. We can tell if something is good or bad by the fruit that it bears. Is it bearing life-giving fruit in our lives or is it producing bad fruit that is detracting from our lives? Do we see the character and qualities of Christ when we examine this thing, situation, or relationship? When we recognize and acknowledge, “THIS” is not healthy for me, “THIS” is not good for me,“THIS” is not God’s will for my life, we can then we can step into the good God has for us. See these scriptures: (Mattew 7:17-20, Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Corinthians 15:33,Galatians 5:22-23,

# 2 – REPLACE: The battle in the mind is probably one of the greatest battles we’ll ever face, BUT we have all the power and authority in Christ Jesus to win. Jesus already defeated satan, so it’s just a matter of reminding the enemy we will not accept his lies or allow our minds to be his playground. We must replace those lies satan whispers to us in our most vulnerable moments with the truth of God’s Word that will always set us free. No lie can stand against God’s truth. Take some time to be still with God and ask Him to reveal to you the lies and ungodly beliefs you have believed and replace those lies with a Truth from God’s Word. Spend time in the Word of God so your mind is washed and renewed from the lies that bombard us all on a daily basis. I’ve shared several scriptures in this blog you can start with. Meditate on God’s truth all throughout your day. It will transform your life. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Romans 12:2, (John 8:33)

# 3 – RESPOND: Now it’s time to respond differently. Instead of responding to the lies and allowing them to lead us by the nose into pain and destruction, we must choose to respond to the Spirit of God in us and the path of life He’s set before us. We choose to not be led by our flesh which is ruled by our thoughts, desires, and feelings by saying no to them and saying yes to God. There may be things or relationships we have to separate ourselves from. Some things are obviously “bad” for us, but others in and of themselves are not “bad,” however the hurts and desires in US cause us to cling to them in an unhealthy way and keep us in codependency, idolatry, and sin. Ouch, that may hurt. But while the truth hurts, it ALWAYS sets us free. We might need to go back up to the “recognizing step” above and have a talk with God about this so we can acknowledge the problem and make the choice with God’s help to separate ourselves from the things we have allowed to have “a hold” on us. Then we must take time to allow God to heal us, by spending time with Him and allowing our personal relationship with Him to bring wholeness to our lives. When we do this and healing begins, we’ll often discover we no longer desire what/who we once did and can now see and respond to those things/people in a healthy way, because the holes in our souls have been made whole by the power of God. We become so filled with and loved by God that everything in life looks and feels different and so are our responses to them. Our responses in life are no longer soul responses birthed from our fickle and ever-changing thoughts and emotions, but Spirit-led responses that bring life, peace, and joy as we follow after God. Hallelujah! See these verses: (Romans 8, Romans 6, James 1:13-18)

The transformation process God performs in our lives is a beautiful thing. While not always easy, it’s always worth it because God’s ways are so much better than ours. (1 Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 55:8-9, Ephesians 3:2, Jeremiah 29:11). The things He has in store for our lives are better than we can ever imagine. Often, we have to let go of things, so that we can make room for what God has for us. God’s not trying to take anything away from us; He’s a good Father who wants to give us good things. In my own life, it wasn’t until I released my idols (things I placed before God) and surrendered completely to God that I was then able to experience the better HE had for me. It was when I made room for God and stopped clinging to the counterfeit things I thought would make me happy that I was able to receive the healing I needed and become able to contain the blessings God gave me. I pray for us now my brothers and sisters, for the veils that may blind our hearts and minds to be lifted off and for us to see the Truth and walk in the Truth that sets us free. I pray that we would no longer accept anything but God’s best for our lives. He’s a good God and His plans for us are good. No matter where we’re at in our walk with God, He has more healing, freedom, and blessing for us. And I don’t know about you, but if God said I can have it then I want it all!!!!

Click here to read another blog post you may want to check out: Healing the Hole in Your Soul