A Soft Heart (#139 of 365+)

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13)


Perhaps it was due to being a single working mom for too long but one of my biggest struggles is with self-sufficiency. Just last week my husband and I had a heated argument. It was rather silly now that I look back on it. Although I needed his help with something I didn’t say anything. Either I didn’t want to bother him or I didn’t want to admit I needed help—maybe it was a little bit of both—but it took a while for me to realize my stubbornness had created hard feelings between us. By taking a “tough” stance and trying to take care of the issue on my own I had inadvertently hurt my husband in the process. But, when I finally relented, my husband was able to lighten my load. He came to my rescue. The experience softened both our hearts.

I heard something on the radio this morning that brought tears to my eyes. A married couple had shared their story about love and their struggle with cancer for a big K-LOVE contest—and they won! The prize was an original love song inspired by their unique story which was composed and performed by Matthew West. Before hearing the song for the first time Anne, the one who had lived through cancer, said this about her husband Jim: “I don’t know what tomorrow holds but every night before we go to sleep he holds me, he wraps his strong arms around me. And I know two things about tomorrow: God’s already there, and Jim’s going to meet him there. And they’re both going to carry me through the day, whatever it holds…” Listen to the entire interview and the new song “Hold You Up” by clicking here.

Early on when I first started blogging my devotional notes, I wrote to Joni & Friends to thank Joni for her book Pearls of Great Price and to ask them to pray for me. I received a supportive email from a staff member who said they would be praying and she also mentioned something that Joni often encourages believers to do: To actively seek out fellowship and friendship with other local believers. Since I used to put forth more effort into getting a cheeseburger than I did into developing accountability relationships, I accepted her advice but didn’t take immediate action.

However the importance of intentional “yoking” with others has been growing on my conscience lately. This morning’s verse and Jim and Anne’s success story in the midst of cancer made me take an even closer look at it. As I read what the writer of Hebrews wrote so long ago, the words seemed to jump out at me to say sin is a deadly cancer—spreading quickly to harden my heart and deceive my mind. It has the potential to weaken my spiritual health and even disable my testimony. Until the day I die or when the rapture happens, whichever comes first, the sin in my body is only in remission. To have a vital Christian life and beat back the disease I must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. I can do this by 1) immersing myself in the truth of God’s Word (to fight deception of the mind) and 2) unburdening my heart to the Lord in prayer and to my Christian brothers and sisters (to fight hardness of the heart). As Joni said, “Softness of heart comes when we encourage one another in our suffering—spreading truth, imparting hope, bearing the burden, sharing the load, praying alongside, and offering a comfortable shoulder to cry on.”

“A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life; a hardhearted person lives a hard life” (Proverbs 28:14 MSG)

Father, although you are mighty and powerful you invite the world to know your tender and compassionate side. As Jesus taught us, since you care for the little sparrows I know you care about my needs too. Thank you for everything… for your grace, for the life you’ve given me, for the people you’ve placed into my life... Thank you for my dear husband, who loves me so well… May I learn to release burdens and open my heart more readily. Make me strong enough to help others unload their burdens as well. Keep those deadly sins of self-sufficiency and indifference from harming the work you’re doing in me. Continue to soften my heart every day, Lord. I want to hear and respond when you call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.