Heart Health
By Vanessa Brobbel
Manager of Special Projects for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada
“Watch over your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 AMP
Conflict. Who likes dealing with conflict? I doubt a single soul on the face of the earth would say, “Oh, yes, please let me deal with conflict; I love it!” In most cases, that is simply not going to happen. Yet, at the same time, there’s not a single person in this life who has been untouched by conflict.
What does conflict have to do with “heart health?” In fact, what does “heart health” have to do with persecution and those suffering for their faith? Good questions. Let’s begin to unpack this subject with the following story:
Our ministry team had travelled hours to an apartment in a country where the government is secular, but the nation is profoundly Muslim. We entered the building quietly, no more than two at a time. Those attending the small gathering sat on pillows around a low table decked out with food; so that, should we be discovered, we could claim to be having a dinner party. This was the local church, which consisted mostly of women. Speaking in hushed voices, the believers eagerly greeted us – warmly expressing their joy with big hugs, kisses to the cheeks, and a palpable anticipation that we foreigners had a Bible and would be teaching from it.
As we began to read the Scriptures together, each one of the church members whipped out a pen and a scrap of paper and began to studiously take notes. The woman beside me (featured in the artwork) had been under house arrest for four years by her Muslim family when they realized she became a Christian. Such was her desire to hear the Word of God and be with other believers that she risked escaping for the afternoon, knowing the consequences would be severe – and possibly even life-threatening – if her whereabouts were discovered. However, when asked how we could pray for her, through tears she requested that God bring her family to Christ. The same family who had for four years beaten, spit on, verbally assaulted, shamed, and imprisoned her were the ones most deeply on her heart to love and forgive.
Hold on to that story while we imagine a disposable cup filled with liquid. If the liquid were tea, we would say, “This is a cup of tea.” If, however, the liquid in the cup were coffee, we would say, “This is a cup of coffee.” Note that the vessel is defined by what is in it. If the cup happened to be knocked over, then whatever was inside it would spill out.1 As John Ortberg said, “It is in the act of facing the storm that you discover what lies inside you and decide what lies before you…. Storms have a way of teaching what nothing else can.”
“Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually
mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral
courage, and Godly character], for they will see God.”
Matthew 5:8 AMP
This dear sister didn’t have access to a Bible, but she spent four years praying. In the centre of serious conflict, our sister had a healthier heart response than most of us do when pressed in traffic. She learned to glorify God by letting Him fill her vessel. Glorifying the Lord does not only mean bringing attention to Him, but also focussing our attention on Him.
“If you don’t glorify God when you’re
involved in a conflict, you inevitably show that
someone or something else rules your heart.”
Ken Sande
The 2024 Art Gallery Showing is an opportunity to ponder what makes a heart spiritually healthy. Consider Christians like this dear sister who – as was the case for The Voice of the Martyr’s founder, Richard Wurmbrand – don’t often have access to Bibles, church buildings or fellowship with other believers. Yet, when they are knocked over in conflict, what spills out from them is the fruit of the Spirit. Such a reaction demonstrates a healthy heart!
Endnote: 1 Illustration by Pastor Matt Tapley
