Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Living From Our Heart

Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)

Our hearts are where our life comes from.

Life was never originally intended to be lived from our outer person or from our intellect. The life that God created for us to live, which is the abundant life that Jesus came to give back to us, is to flow from and be lived from our hearts - hearts that are fully alive and free.

But what would it look like if we were to live from our hearts?

Recently, when Brenda and I were on a short vacation, we were watching a group of young children playing. As I watched them for a short time, Father began to speak to me. He said, "Watch those children and you will get some idea what it is like to live from your heart." As I began to watch more closely, I began to see what He was saying.

These are some of the characteristics that I began to see.

Children are:
  • Accepting of others
  • Full of joy
  • Inquisitive
  • Trusting
  • Enthusiastic and passionate
  • Unedited - they will tell you what they think
  • Open, honest - free to express their emotions
  • Fearless
  • Forgiving

What I saw in those children began to give me a picture of living fully alive and free.

I believe that one of the reasons that we love children and want to be with them is that they show us, at least in a measure, how we were intended to live; and it resonates with our heart.

Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. (Mark 10:15)

What are some of your thoughts about what it looks like to live from our heart?

5 comments:

  1. Living from my heart is being open and honest...sometimes it's being "raw," but it is being me!
    Brenda L

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  2. Listening with an understanding heart is a good way to "Kindom Live" because Jesus said,"the Kingdom of God is within you". The Holy Spirit will lead & guide us in to all truth so listing to the Holy Spirit instead of a demanding world, outside the heart, will protect us and care for us while revealing "the way" we should go.
    Our heart is very well protected by strong bones. Studies show that bones grow stronger with resitve exercise.(Lifting weights, push ups, multi excercises,who wants to do that!). But when we excercise submiting to God, resisting the devil we strengthen our Spiritul bones to protect our hearts. Therefore we MUST
    stay strong to "Live from the Heart".
    Theril W

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  3. This description sounds like the "abundant life" Jesus said he came to bring us. I want every bit He has promised. I imagine He might have been watching children playing in thei uninhibited way, when He told us to "Come as little children".

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  4. When I think about the phrase "living from my heart" ... I think - about living with the freedom to be who Father created me to be. Children are so free, unique and refreshing because they are in a constant mode of discovery and so many things in life are new to them.
    I believe this is how Father intended for all of his children to live ... hopeful, inquisitive and new... each day.
    Satan sends attacks big and small throughout our lives to hinder our desire to discover new things and be unique. He does this mostly through fear - whether perceived or experiential.
    But being a child of the King of Kings offers adults, children, adolescents, seniors, and all people to live free of fear.
    Father has shown me that freedom, security; peace, hope, love, grace, mercy and joy are the characteristics of HIS heart. And every day ... I have the privilege of living out of the abundance of His heart ... so my heart is free to be who and what he created me to be.

    Love you Dad and love this blog!
    Elizabeth

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  5. It took me this long since I last hear "Living from the Heart" I was reminded way back in the day's that I didn't know God nor had a relationship with Him. I was living thru hundreds of different MASK's. God with his Grace & love and by showing me HIS HEART brought me thru Heart Quest wish layers of Mask and everyone was removed. I now "live from my heart" overwhelm of love and JOY knowing the abundance of His loving HEART that was given to me by MY Father. A gift of LOVE and surrender that change my heart and thru this teaching it will touch and change other people’s lives and they can also experience “Living from the Heart” Thank you Rick and Brenda for being there for both James and myself

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