“When our hearts are screaming and we try everything we can to get them to shut up, eventually giving up and avoiding the annoyance altogether, we never find our why they’re crying in the first place. . . . just like a baby only cries when there is pain or a substantial need, the heart always has a valid reason for making noise.”- Christa Black Gifford
In Chapter 6 (“The Languages of the Heart”) of Heart Made Whole, Christa Black Gifford underscores that your heart speaks rather loudly every day. First, though, you must learn its languages and begin to listen. Unless you do, Ms. Gifford notes, you’ll find yourself living with a foreigner, unable to understand a thing.
Therefore, Christa explains how to live as the person God created you to be:
“But if you ever want to understand yourself and restore your original design — living as the person God created you to be — then you’re going to need to learn to translate a few languages to find out the truth that your heart has been longing to tell you. . . . until every part of our heart is flying the unified flag of love above all pain, trauma, bitterness, and offense, it will continue to spew out all sorts of things we would rather it didn’t.”
Thus, Christa believes, every one of us needs to live with a central goal for our heart. That goal? – to think, speak, feel, and act in the fluent language of God: love.
Consequently, Ms. Gifford spends the rest of Chapter 6 exploring the four languages of the heart. The language of
- thought (see Psalm 139:2)
- words (see Luke 6:45)
- emotions (See Proverbs 17:22)
- actions (see Psalm 141:4)
Finally, Christa exhorts, “take off your critical lens of judgment and really start to pay attention to your heart through the filter of the counseling –and never condemning — Holy Spirit.”
Today’s question: When your heart’s screaming, what valid reason does it have for making noise? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “It’s the heart that believes”
