Flying Hearts

According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. This is why the Bible talks about being wise in heart (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure in heart (Psalms 24:4; Matthew 5:8), upright in heart, and righteous in heart (Genesis 20:5,6; Psalms 11:2; 78:72).

When I heard the blog topic for this week, the first thing that came to my mind was being in love. When you are in love, your heart soars, or flies high. There is a fantastic feeling that comes when you are in love. People say that they are on “cloud 9.” When that love is broken, we are said to have a “broken heart.” So even though our heart is really the muscle that pumps the blood and keeps us alive, it is also talked about as the place where we “feel” our emotions.

To me, however, a flying heart is more than experiencing loving another person, it is even more in how we live our lives. What comes to mind is Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait for the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint.” Life is not just full of fuzzy feelings. We have ups and down, highs and lows. We have times when we feel strong, and times when we are weak. This verse in Isaiah reminds us that in the Lord we can have our strength renewed, and we can soar like eagles. Our hearts can “fly” with the help of God.

Where does this lead us? I believe it leads us back to love, but a love that is more complete. That is why when Jesus was asked what was the greatest command, he gave it in two parts: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus told us to love with all of our heart. I believe that when we love in this way, we will truly have flying hearts, no matter what is happening in our lives.