Blockages of the Heart

This has been one of those weeks where I intended to write one thing and ended up writing another. My father in-law had a heart attack earlier in the week and I found myself in his hospital room with my wife as the Dr. explained the results of his cardiogram to the family. The news was certainly not good, but like many things, it could have been worse. Of the three major coronary arteries of the heart, two of his were reported to be completely blocked and the third (and last) was said to be sixty percent blocked. He had suffered a minor heart attack (his third) from the blockage in a small vein or artery that flows from this last major artery. Because of the relative insignificance of the small artery and the fact that they would risk damaging the last remaining major artery, no attempt was made to open up this blockage.

A series of tests is being done to determine the viability of the different parts of my father in-law's heart. Some heart tissue is clearly non-viable due to the prior blockages and the scar tissue that has developed. At the conclusion of the tests, a decision will need to be made on how to proceed. It appears that he will be limited to a couple of options. The first would be an aggressive medication treatment accompanied by a good diet. The second, and clearly the one with the highest risk, would be bi-pass open heart surgery. This decision will involve seeking the Lord's guidance and taking several different matters into consideration before it is made. Please pray for him and the family, and for the doctors and nurses providing his care during this time.

As I spent some time thinking about the doctor's report, it seemed as if I was hearing a report on the spiritual health of the Church. God's children have not taken seriously His admonition to guard their hearts. We have brushed aside His warnings to not harden our hearts. To summarize our condition, like those who hardened their hearts in the wilderness, we have simply been disobedient. No, the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church, but like my father in-law's heart, which is in poor condition, so seems to be the Church. The list of possible reasons for this condition seems long. I believe it includes, but is not limited to, the following.

We have perverted His gospel and we have watered down His word. He has told us to be diligent to present ourselves approved as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth and to be good stewards of His mysteries. But we have responded in a manner that seems to suggest that we don't consider this important and that we simply don't want to take the time and energy it requires.

He has told us not to forsake our assembling together but our actions tell Him that it is to inconvenient for us to do so with our busy lives.

He has told us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord but we have chosen to walk in ways that demean His worthiness.

He has told us to think on the things that are true, honorable, right, pure and lovely but we have filled our minds with garbage.

He has told us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have opted out of mind renewal and find ourselves being conformed to the world.

He has told us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but we have been content to know Him only as an aquaintance.

He has cautioned us about walking as mere men but we have determined that being a mere man who goes to church isn't all that bad.

He has called us to come out from their midst and be separate but we rather enjoy their companionship.

He has told us to humbly receive the word but our pride often prevents us from hearing His still small voice.

He has told husbands to love their wives but their love for themselves and the world seems to prohibit us from doing so.

He has told wives to be submissive to their own husbands but we have called that old fashion and out of touch.

He told us not to lay up for ourselves treasures upon the earth but to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. But our piles of treasures seem to be heaping hear on earth while the treasure storage place in heaven awaits an infrequent delivery.

He told us not to let the sun go down on our anger and yet we are still counting the years that we have allowed this to happen.

He has told us to fight the good fight of faith but we have chosen to pursue peace with those things that war against us.

He has required that we love one another but we have chosen to redefine love.

He told us to admonish one another but in our own understanding we have decided "not to judge" and not to be "stone throwers".

He has told us to preach the word and to teach the whole counsel of His word. But we have found that it is easier to preach what people want to hear and teach only the things that are not offensive or controversial.

He has told us not to be respecters of persons but He must not have understood what it would be like to have those kind in our churches.

He has instructed the older to teach the younger but we have determined that the older are mostly irrelevant in this day and age.

He has taught us that He is the same today, yesterday and forever but He must understand that things have changed and His word and His ways must change also.

He has given us the loving command to put on the whole armor of God but we have chosen too often, to put on human wisdom instead. Besides, the whole armor of God seems a bit cumbersome in this world we live in.

He has told us to stand firm but we have found that it can be more acceptable to compromise and not take such a rigid position on matters of our faith.

He has told us that our hearts can be found where our treasures are. It seems difficult to find Him anywhere among the things that we treasure most.

He tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus but they seem focused on everything but Him.

He desires to impart to us abundant life but we choose that which is common, ordinary and mundane.

He tells us to lay aside our encumbrances but we try to manage them instead.

He has told us to run the race with endurance but we look for easier ways to live the Christian life.

He calls us ambassadors while we forget we are new creatures in Christ, even now seated with Him in heavenly places.

He tells us to cast all our cares on Him but we have always struggled with giving up the things we claim as our own.

He has told us to enter His rest but we are prone to striving after that which He has already given.

He has revealed to us the secret of contentment but our unbelief and dissatisfaction with Him is revealed by our discontentment.

He has told us to pray without ceasing but we can hardly cease from our daily activities to pray at all.

He tells us to long for the pure milk of the word but we must admit that we often don't have a taste for it.

Oh, like the Church in Corinth, we are in great need of Godly sorrow that would lead us to repentance without regret! Like plaque in our coronary arteries, our disobedience has resulted in the hardening of our hearts against Him. As I stated above, my father in-law is looking at a couple of options to help his damaged heart. Because of the great risk involved, open-heart surgery will most likely be ruled out for him. But for the Church, it seems to be the only option worth consideration. The Church needs to humbly surrender to the Great Physician who is able to perform this task. For the Church, the risk is too high not to pursue this option. We need to go to His word. It is His word alone that can remove the spiritual plaque that can make each of us less effective vessels for Him. It is the word of God that is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart". This is also a "high risk" proceedure for the believer and it should not be taken lightly. He may just lose his life. But he will find abundant life in Christ. In Matthew 16:25 Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Lord, we have neither the ability nor the responsibility to submit the entire Church to you for this "open-heart" surgery we speak of. But each of us can say, "Here I am Lord, start with my heart." Take us to your word and by your Spirit use this sharpest of all two-edged swords to make us more usable vessels for Thee. Use it to remove the blockages that prevent us from having the intimate relationship you long to have with us. By your Spirit and your Word, and for the glory of your Son Jesus, help us to guard our hearts.