My Flowers

My sister-in-law brought me these beautiful flowers for my table on Sunday. I’m not sure what happened, but the next day… well, you can see the picture. One of them was blossoming, and the other was completely dead. I didn’t do anything to them but put them in water. I would have said it was the heat that killed them, but one was doing just fine. 

There was no difference in the circumstances around the flowers. They were bought at the same time, from the same store. They were placed in the same vase and shared the same water. So why is it that one thrived and one died?

Two People in Similar Circumstances

Why is it that two people can have the same set of circumstances, yet one person crumbles while another shines? I think we’ve all known people on both sides in this scenario. We watch as the hardest circumstances come at one person, and they handle it with grace and strength. We stand back and watch in awe of God’s grace in and through their lives. We’ve also watched someone else go through difficult circumstances and absolutely crumble. They lose their faith; they become angry and bitter, only a shell of their former self.

What’s Inside Makes the Difference

What makes the difference? It’s what was inside that made all the difference. In the flower that died, there must have been some sort of sickness that I couldn’t see that was affecting the flower. Similarly, we can’t see what’s in people’s hearts; we can only see the outflow. It’s what is inside that comes out in difficult times. Two people may look the same on the outside, but once they are in the midst of a difficult season, it may be that two very different people are revealed.

What is inside our hearts is going to come out when difficult circumstances come. Solomon tells us in Proverbs to carefully guard our heart. The state of our heart will determine the course of our life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 KJV

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 NLT

Doing a Heart Check-Up

Sometimes we need to do an internal checkup to see how we are doing. If we look okay to everyone else, but our heart is filled with anger, fear, pride, greed, jealousy, shame… it’s going to come out when we are placed in difficult circumstances. It just will. Hard times have a way of showing us who we really are.

When we went through our difficult season, I had a front-row seat to see what was truly in my heart. I was surprised to see the anger, fear, and lack of faith that came spilling out. Because of those circumstances, though, I was able to see where I truly was. I could then begin to take steps to change my ways and thoughts, and ultimately my heart. 

Developing a Healthy Heart

So how do we develop a healthy heart? How do we strengthen our heart to be ready for a difficult season or a time of testing?

• It starts with developing a deep relationship with God. We can do that through praying, reading God’s Word, and journaling. I use my Faithfully Stepping Journal every morning. I use it as a part of my morning time routine. If you are looking for inspiration for your morning time, check out My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time.

• Stay accountable each day for your sins. If we keep a short account of our sins, we won’t get far from God. It’s when we let stuff go that sin builds up in our hearts and we find ourselves far away from God.
• Spend time doing things that strengthen our hearts and put them in a healthy place. Read good books that help you grow spiritually. Listen to preaching and Christian leaders on podcasts. 

When we actively take care of our heart, we prepare ourselves to be ready for whatever tests or seasons of difficulty that lie ahead. We establish a deep relationship with God that will get us through so that we can look back and see that we did well during our season of testing.