We know that in Scripture we see God forming and making people who they were even before they were born. There is a God potential that maybe we have not seen or recognize. I am continuing to ask others, “Who do you say that I am?” So that, I can continue to recognize what is after the “the” for my life.
The word that I have held the most of all of the words after my “the,” is Greatheart. I guess in some ways as I heard those words spoken over myself, I did not completely understand what that word meant. What is a Greatheart? As I began to process what this idea was, or rather how I was to be a greatheart. I had a feeling it had to do with loving others, something that I’m trying to learn to be intentional about. So I leveled with God, and was like, “Okay God, I know, I know, it’s all about love, blah blah blah.” How trite right now for me to hear God saying that I am supposed to love more.
I think that I just allowed my disillusionment to prevent from further thoughts of greatheartedness. And of course was the random rant in my head about how Jesus must’ve had a great heart since he was moved with compassion by seeing the need. Scriptures even say that he was moved internally with compassion and was compelled by his own love. I don’t think I’m quite there yet, but I’ve had it occur a few times. Funny is that people were still calling me a “greatheart” even when I didn’t believe it for myself.
This week we had a special time of prayer at church, and as we were praying, God took me to Psalm 119:32. “I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart (or Hebrew says for you set my heart free)” (ESV). As I read this verse, I recalled 1 John about how obedience to love was the major commandment we are to live in. I began to see that God wanted me to be a greatheart by doing just that – love because He loved and because I’m loved. I do not have to attempt love, it will be the finish line of my living of my life in the intention of love. And the only way for God to do that was to set my heart free.
And let me tell you that I thought I was totally “freeing” up my heart as I watched God increase new friendships and then random growth of the small group. I believed my enlarged heart was for everyone else. And I thought I was getting it. Then a friend and I were talking and a simple sentence that they said undid me. They didn’t mean this sentence to injure me, but God was using it to expose my weakness.
In this place of thinking my heart was growing, it was artificial. I had allowed comparisons to others hinder me from freedom, from God setting me wild in a field of his commandments to love and enlarge my life. I didn’t trust God and what he said about me. I didn’t believe I was a greatheart. Instead I let my heart shrink. I listened to lies that I was insignificant and all I was being was a waste of time. God shined his light on my life and revealed that lie.
How can I walk in freedom unless I believe the truth, since only the truth sets me free. Today, I can say that my shrunken heart from last night’s battle grew 2 sizes today when I woke to hear the truth over my life. I am a Greatheart. Why? Because I was made to be like my Father and my Brother. Greatheart is their last name, and so it is mine.
