Preventing a Hardened Heart

Atherosclerosis
A hardening and narrowing of the arteries that is often the cause of heart attacks and stroke caused by high blood pressure, smoking and damage from lipids in the blood

Spiritual Hardening of the Heart
A resistance to the voice of God occurring when I refuse to acknowledge truth or learn a lesson from God

The disciples experienced spiritual hardness of heart when they did not learn the lessons from the feeding of the 5,000. Soon after that miraculous event the disciples were terrified when they found themselves on the Sea of Galilee in the midst of a storm. When Jesus walked out to them and calmed the storm the Bible says,

They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:51-52 NIV) 

Jesus told his disciples and tells me that hardening of my spiritual heart occurs as I fail to see, hear, understand, remember and apply the lessons God is teaching me. Jesus said,

Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? (Mark 8:17-19 NIV) 

I need to attend to my physical atherosclerosis, but my spiritual hardness of heart is even more vital. Will you join me in attending to our spiritual health as God teaches us daily lessons through the circumstances of our lives?

  Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7 NIV)

Sharing the journey with you,