A Hardened Heart
How does one’s heart get hardened? One’s ears dull of hearing? Or itchy? Is it a conscious decision after much study and debate or most likely a mere drift? We get distracted, get busy, or just get out of the habit of prayer. That is what happens when our faith life is only habit, a hasty, rushed, checklist of spiritual “to do’s”. The will is not engaged, not much heart is involved. Your relationship with Jesus is shallow or worse, ‘just for show’. Holiness and real change seem elusive and slow in coming. Halfhearted efforts earn halfhearted results. Ha-Ha! How many of your parents told you, “You will get out of it what you put into it!” One of the reasons I relate to Saint Teresa of Avila is that she is quoted as saying, “For the Love of the Lord, make a real effort!” If we don’t stop with our excuses and make real, heartfelt time with Jesus, talking with him and listening to him, we will drift away. We will be blown about by the popular winds of ‘progress’ and never really grow into the loving, joyful, fruitful, merciful human beings God created us to be.
I suggest our hearts get hardened by the following list which is not at all inclusive:
Sin – big root ones like Pride, Vanity, and Sensuality, but also smaller, venial ones like selfishness, laziness, gossip, slander, negative, cynical attitudes, disobedience in small things. Sin really disrupts your desire for holiness, your ability to hear God clearly and even your ability to discern right from wrong. Any sin gives the devil a bit of an opening into your heart. Sin corrupts and kills, scatters, and lies.
Doubt – lack of faith, lack of trust in God, “Just don’t see the point of religion.” Or better yet: “I just don’t get anything out of it.”
Missed Expectations, Lack of patience, being hasty – no trust that God’s timing is the best. “I want what I want when I want it which is usually now!” “I have been praying for ‘xyz’ for days now with no results, does God even listen?” “I’m tired of waiting!”
Ignorance or Obstinance – “I’ve never heard that teaching before.” Or one of the best I’ve ever heard: “I learned everything I needed to know in 2nd grade Communion prep!”
Selfish Will, Not open to God’s direction, Self – determination all the way! – “God help me – but here are my ideas!” “I will NOT adhere to the Church’s teaching in that area – no way – the Church is way too outdated.”
What we feed our minds and souls – Is what we read, watch, listen to or talk about positive, pure, uplifting, of some lifegiving purpose or is it shallow, vulgar, vapid, and violent? Do these “entertainments” help us sleep well at night, keep positive loving thoughts in our minds. Do we need to change the channel or maybe just cancel an impure streaming service? Is the company we keep a good influence on our virtue? Do they help us grow or bring us down?
Surrender & Obedience – am I willing to do thing’s God’s way? Listen to the urgings of his Holy Spirit? Do I even know how to listen to God? Surrender means to cease resisting – Him. Obedience means to obey an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority. Am I even interested in surrender and obedience to God? If not, why not? What am I afraid of? What am I not willing to give up?
Distracted, too Busy – there is only one spirit I know who wants to distract you and keep your wheels spinning, so you have no time to love – to love God, your family, or your neighbor. If you don’t know who that is, we have some work to do!
Tired – sometimes we are just too tired to think, act or love. This is where a bit of discipline and self-care come in and depending more on God’s strength and wisdom than our own. Being overly self-reliant and not God reliant is really exhausting!
The Three root sins, the sins most other sins can be traced back too are Pride, Sensuality and Vanity. Considering the idea of drifting away from your faith, I see manifestations of the root sins like this:
Pride = lukewarm & lazy
(Love of self & my will more than love of God)
SENSUALITY = obstinate & impatience
(Love of pleasure and comfort i.e. Not too interested in sacrifices)
Vanity = meticulously superficial
(Love of what others think of me, their opinions more than God’s opinion of me)
So, what is a soul to do? (This list rolls off the tongue easily as I’m familiar with most of them and am determined to root them out of my faith life.) How do I keep my heart constant, soft, fertile, docile, humble, quiet, and at peace – growing constantly in love and charity, hope and mercy?
A soul can make a conscious decision and make a real effort to befriend Jesus by spending quiet, purposeful time with him, every day, getting to know him, listening to him and opening their heart to him. Every day. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. Scripture is the easiest and best medium to hear God’s voice, personal and pertinent to your life and your history, your temperament, and your faith. He knows you well and loves you even more than you can imagine. Again, a quote from my favorite St. Teresa of Avila: “However softly we speak, God is near enough to hear us.” Will you take the time to get close enough to hear Him and listen with an open, softened heart? Then, you will let the real transforming begin!
Inspired by:
“Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7
O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts, as at Meri bah… Psalms 95:7,8
Let me hear what the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Psalms 85:8
About this [spiritual growth] we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. Hebrews 5:11
Let us then with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. John 18:37
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 14:35
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
Speak, for your servant hears. 1 Samuel 3:10
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” Luke 9:35
The LORD opened her (Lydia) heart to listen to what was said. Acts 16:14
Israel, if you would but listen to me! Psalms 81:8
For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. Psalms 50:17
Therefore, we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10