A New Heart
“I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts” Ezekiel 36:26
Ouch! I have a stony heart?
This is actually a passage of the promise of God to the people of Israel to be restored, but I think it applies to us very well on a personal basis too.
During Lent, we strive to bring ourselves into a closer and deeper relationship with God. We each do this in a highly personal way, and we each, I believe, want to have what stoniness that resides in our hearts taken away.
I believe that God can and will give me a new heart and a new spirit if I turn to God and seek it. As a people, it can be hard to accept that some of what is wrong with society or with the world at large comes down to our stony hearts, and yet it is true. It is true for me and it is true for you. Somewhere deep within, God knows there is a hardness toward something or someone. It is the story of his people, why would we be any different? How many times did Jesus essentially say to the people, including his disciples, “you just don’t get it!” How many times does he say the same to us in one way or another? His love, his compassion, his obedience and his oneness with God were all there when he lived among the people, but they chose to see things their own way. Because of this many kept their stony hearts, ignoring the promise of God through Ezekiel.
As a people we are called to live in a new heart and a new spirit. They aren’t just words, they are the mission of Christ in the 21st century. To be present in whatever way possible to the needs of the people around us. We may not always get it right, we will stumble, we are human. But if we turn to Jesus, who knows our limitations, we are far more likely to get it right some time, with someone. It is better than carrying around these stones.
So today, I pray for the willingness to receive the new heart and new spirit that God promises. I pray that I remember that Jesus was human too and knows how hard it can be in our imperfect relationships. I ask for the strength of the Holy Spirit to guide me in my interactions with others and in my self-reflection so that I may toss the stones and have back my natural heart.
