My husband and I recently planted a tree and some shrubs, and as we did, I was reminded of the first suggestion in our acronym of “BLOOM” – Be mindful of your heart. This month, as we in the Midwest begin our Spring planting, we thought it would be fun to revisit the idea of flourishing with an acronym, BLOOM.
- B — Be mindful of your heart.
We will be spending the next several weeks exploring each letter of this acronym and its meaning according to God’s Word. For this week, let’s look at the letter B: Be mindful of your heart.
Before planting our tree and shrubs, the garden center expert recommended we “amend” the soil with some Sweet Peat to help the soil’s tilth. Merriam Webster dictionary defines tilth as “the state of a soil in relation to crop growth.” Gardeners understand that what goes in the soil affects what comes out of it.
The Bible tells us that hearts are similar. Scripture is filled with verses about guarding the tilth of our hearts. For instance:
- Luke 6:45 says, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
- Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
- Matthew 15:18 says, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.”
These verses are great warning that if we overlook what we put in our hearts and are careless about what we keep in it, we will not enjoy what comes out of it. So, how do we do guard our hearts well? Author Margaret Feinberg, in her book entitled Scouting the Divine, provides some great tips. Through an interview with a modern-day farmer and her own study of the Scriptures, Feinberg uncovered some wonderful lessons for tending the soil. Some of the lessons that we also can embrace are:
- Don’t look back.
- Don’t quit when the harvest seems underwhelming.
- Be patient in the wait.
- Be willing to be opened.
- Allow yourself to be stirred.
Today, let’s look at Lesson 1: Don’t look back.
Plowing fields, preparing it for good seeds, is tough work that requires intentionality, steadfastness, and focus. Farmers who look back rather than focusing forward can cause their rows to become crooked, which leads to inefficiency and a lower yield at harvest. Preparing our hearts for God’s good seeds requires that same forward focus. Jesus said so to the man who wanted to go back and say goodbye to his family before following Him. (Luke 9:61-62) The apostle Paul shared a similar sentiment when he wrote, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14)
I certainly have caught myself looking back at times. How about you? I have found myself wishing for “the good old days,” or grieving past mistakes I’ve already confessed and God has forgiven. God Himself says that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Yet, I can find myself still shackled by sins long forgotten by my Lord.
When we do that, we take our eyes and focus off the more important thing: cultivating our hearts. I think this is what the writer of Hebrews may have meant when he said, “ . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus . . . “ (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Let’s all let go of the spiritual whiplash caused by looking back. Let’s press on toward the goal, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Join us tomorrow when we take a closer look at Lessons 2 and 3, Don’t quit when the harvest seems underwhelming, and be patient in the wait.
Until tomorrow, may you guard your heart tenderly, focusing on the horizon ahead.
