“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.”

Leonardo da Vinci

In the Bible we hear a lot about hardened hearts.  It’s the process whereby a person turns away from God and thinks he can manage his life in his own way.  Every day, we may resolve to change and try to do better, but happenings in the world turn our hearts to stone again.  We may be faced with financial issues or health concerns.  We struggle daily against the pull of the devil.  We think we’ve got this.  We believe we’re in charge of our own destiny.  We try to convince ourselves that we’re the captain’s of our own domain, when we’re nothing more than a barnacle hanging on for dear life.

In today’s world, one can have their heart repaired.  Replacement parts are available to make it function properly.  You can even have a new one installed if it becomes necessary.  Who ever would’ve thought that could’ve happened a century ago?

But no one on this planet can remove hatred from the heart – or anger or bigotry or prejudice.  No one can turn a rebellious heart into a servant.  There is no surgery that will make the heart glad, hopeful or joyful.  There is only One who can make a heart new again and that’s the Creator of all things.

We’re at the end of the first week of the new year and all the resolutions for the future may have already fallen apart.  The diet, laying off the alcohol, quitting smoking – all those nasty habits that we allow to rule our lives – are no different than they were at the end of last year.  Our resolutions, our hopes and dreams, our goals, our promises are nothing compared to how God can soften even the hardest of hearts.

Some of that softening requires bumps and bruising.  Some of the reshaping is going to hurt.  The making of a new heart is not going to be easy and even if we have another person’s heart beating in our chest, we need God to make it right again.  He gives us a new heart, when we believe in Him alone – when we put all other things below Him – when we surrender our will to Him and allow Him to do what He does best by trusting in His plans for our lives.

ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW HEART?