Luke 6.44-45
The Counsel of the Lord is this: If you desire to lead a life that blesses and enriches others, you need to pay attention to your heart. – Jeff Manion [Dream Big, Think Small page 81]
Jesus uses powerful imagery when he says, “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit” (Luke 6.44). He was talking about the heart. We live from our hearts. Whether wounded or healthy, grateful or bitter, our hearts are the life-source for who we are and how we treat others.
For many of us, our drug of choice is business—we operate at a fever-pitch careening from task to task. Perhaps you find yourself trying to do everything and still feeling like you’re not doing enough. This way of life can easily leave our hearts tired, angry, bitter and hollow. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Jesus came to heal this inner place in our lives and invite us to experience his life. This happens as we daily examine our hearts, present them before the Lord and invite his love into those spaces. Building a foundation of a healthy heart is like growing a tree that yields lots of fruit. It takes years of nurturing and pruning. Examining your heart daily and opening your Bible isn’t flashy and probably won’t make a highlight reel. But it is paramount to becoming the person God is crafting you to be. These disciplines grow your roots deep. Your relationship with God will become the firm foundation for your life.
Today is Day 11 of Dream Big, Think Small. Open the book to page 88. Write down some tasks you do quietly and diligently that wouldn’t make the highlight reel especially as it pertains to quieting your heart before Jesus. Know that Jesus celebrates every one of your faithful actions.
