A Happy Heart & an Angry Dog!

Shyju Mathew

"Experience the Word of God, in the power of the Spirit."

May 17, 2008

Sometime ago I heard a rumor someone tried to spread about me, and I was very disturbed, so much so that I thought about it over and over again. My mind was flooded with questions: Why me? What have I done? I don’t even know the parties involved!  And before I knew, an hour had passed. By that time, bitterness had also crept in my heart and consequently, I started to get on the defensive mode while interacting with people.

I saw everyone in that light. I started maintaining a distance from the people around. Soon that bitterness grew to anger, till the Holy Spirit convicted me. I then realized that 3 hours had passed by without a single second of prayer or fellowship with God. I was shocked with the realisation on how a simple thought had shaken up my heart and drew me away from God.

 I decided to take off for a  bike ride with God, trying to silence my mind in order to to understand what was happening. How could I get detached from God so easily? It was simple: The walls of my heart was broken and the evil one  had taken advantage of that to steal my joy.

As I tried to silence my mind, I strolled slowly on my bike, trying to move across a speed bump, and to my shock a street dog came charging at me (which is not surprising in India). As a swift reaction I raised my legs, screamed and sped off.

I was so shaken at that moment, I was almost talking to the dog, long gone now.

“You silly dog! What have I done? Why are you barking at me?

And before I knew, I was laughing, at my own reaction, and laughing away my pain too. Holy Spirit was teaching me something.

Why do we allow people to affect us, knowing it is the devil that sends them to catch us off guard, to lose our joy and fellowship with God?

My friend, the devil knows you well, and he will direct the most respected people in your life to come against you.

How then, will you react? Knowing his plan, will you be hurt? Offended? Rejected? Isolated? Or will you guard your heart by running into the arms of your heavenly Father, knowing that He has predestined your life and no one can change it?

Don’t you realize, the word of God says : If God be for us who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Proverbs 4:23 says, Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. In other words, you need to GUARD YOUR HEART.  

To the extent that you allow your heart to be affected, it will affect your relationships, your prayer life, your sensitivity to God. According to Proverbs 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop,- it will affect your walk with God!!! Again, Proverbs 15:13 says: A merry heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart, the spirit is broken.

Has something taken away your joy? Guard your heart today!