What is Your Heart Posture?

As Easter comes to a close, God has been laying on my heart the importance of our heart postures towards him.

God cares about your heart, he said from it flows rivers of life.

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38

Your heart can be a river of life and a testimony, However, if your heart's not open to Christ, as he stands at your door knocking, (Revelation 3:20!) you will struggle being a source of life for others. Christ is the only true and lasting source of life. If you have that inside of you and others perceive it, you can share it with them! You are CALLED to be a source of life and light for the rest of the world.

At night, the city lights would be able to be seen from far way towns.

Even in the darkest of places, you are called and commissioned by God to be the lights that are not hidden under bushels (Matthew 5:15). But how can you be the light, if you struggle sparking a flame? What in your heart is not submitted to God?

Think of your heart as a house. In the bible, Paul talks about how we are temples for the holy spirit to dwell (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

I love how Peter talks about it in 1 Peter 2:4-5 as well,

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

We have to invite Jesus into our hearts to be this spiritual house, to be the temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell. Maybe you’ve never done this. All you have to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus has risen from the dead for you and me, and you will be saved (Romans 10:9)!! He is pleased to dwell in you and he died so that ALL would have access to him and eternal life with him in heaven! How great is our God?!

Whether you never accepted Christ into your heart, or you've been walking with him for 30 years, I want to walk you through an exercise that will help you perceive where in your life your heart is closed off to Christ.

Your heart must be wide open to Jesus Christ if you want to fully perceive and receive the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And to fully live in his love and joy for yourself and others!!

1) Close your eyes

Obviously you will have to read through the instructions. I would suggest reading through this, then go back and do the exercise with your eyes closed, really give yourself 10-15 minutes to do this.

If you have the dictation option, have your computer read you through the rest of the exercise, or have a close friend guide you through it! It’s so effective! I’ve gotten visions from the Lord when I did this (over two years ago) and it was life changing to this day. It’s so impactful when you really press in!

2)Think of your heart as a house. Someone is knocking at your door. Open it. It’s Jesus. He’s knocking and he wants to come into your house. Invite him in!

3) You’re leading him through your house. Take a moment and think. What rooms are you glad to invite Jesus into?!

Do you excitedly lead him into your kitchen? Where do you eat and enjoy a meal? Or perhaps, is that a place of shame for you?

Do you let him into your family room? Where your kids, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family or friends might do life with you? Or is he not in the center of those relationships? Does Jesus co-parent with you? Or is that a place you let society lead? Do you have friends that check on you when you don’t show up when you said you would? Or friends that correct you when you’re wrong, or is there an absence of Godly principles in those relationships?

4) What rooms are you ashamed to lead Jesus into? What rooms do you have locked up tight, with a lock and key? Are there rooms you let Jesus look into, but not walk in?

As you lead Jesus up the stairs, do you let him into your bathroom? Do you let him speak identity over you when you look into the mirror? Or do you feel shame, do you feel ugly, do you feel worthless or unworthiness? Do you feel like your life has meaning?

This may be touching some tough subjects for you. Let yourself feel the pain for a moment. Then let yourself feel Jesus in that room of your heart with you. He is there, he wants to comfort you! Nothing is by compulsion, you have to invite him there, to feel him there. He will not bang down the door, or force you to take his comfort. He offers it, but you must take it.

This is the action of laying down lies, experiences or traumas and picking up the good things: the truths of the Lord, your identity as a much loved Child of God and who you are and what your potential is. How God sees you!

5) Finally, do you let Jesus into your bedroom?

I know this might sound weird, but your bedroom is your quiet space. The space where you can be your most authentic self. Do you let Jesus into that space?

Or do you immediately try to fill the silences in your room with noise? Do you spend all your quiet time on netflix, or instagram or reading or anything else that is trying to fill a void? Do you perhaps have addictions or anxiety and depression that only go on behind closed doors?

Or do you take time to reflect about your day? Do you allow him into the quiet spaces? Do you allow him to walk you through your struggles? To take away your pain and to be near to you?

6) Take a moment. Allow Jesus to show you which spaces are not available to him right now. Ask him into those spaces! It’s that simple!!!

7) When you are ready, open your eyes.

I love how James says it in James 4:8,

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Stop allowing the world to tell you how to feel. Let Jesus speak truth to you. This means allowing him into every room of your heart. I believe that the quiet time, the quiet space is the most important space to let him into!

If you don’t spend time in your word daily, you will struggle knowing who God is and in turn who you are, because you won’t know what God sounds like, thinks like or feels like. The bible is filled with a plethora of women and men just like you and me, who have struggles, who face depression, anxiety, speech impediments, lame hands, broken hearts and beaten bodies. The bible shows how they have walked these things out with God in the old testament and with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the New Testament!

Just remember, you are a new creation, the old has passed away. And every sin you ever commit and will commit has been nailed to the cross. As the nails pierced our savior’s innocent hands and feet, so were your sins. As the crown of thorns was thrusted into his skull. As the sword pierced his side. Your sins died with the blameless sacrifice, the only one worthy to take the sins of the world. The only innocence completely rejected by the world, yet God loves us so much to send his only son (John 3:16-17). What an amazing God we have!

His blood was scarlet, yet he washed us white as snow! Our transgressions are many, yet his blood covers all still to this day and forevermore! Amen friend! I hope this helped you!

Comment below about your experience with this exercise! Or any exercises you have been led through that had a huge impact on your life! I would love to hear about it :)