Heart of stone

CHRISTIAN LIVING TODAY

My focus on stones continues: what Scripture says about stones, how they were used as memorials and how interesting it is that God Himself uses the phrase “heart of stone” to illustrate our feelings and responses.

Ezekiel 36:26 says: “I/ God will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.”

He will remove the stony cold heart and give us a heart that is responsive and obedient to Him. He will give us a tender heart.

I recall a Bible study class with women of various ages — some single, others married, divorced, widowed or mothers. As we became comfortable with each other, some prayed aloud. I’ll always remember when a young woman prayed, “Lord, please change my cold stony heart.”

I noted a daring prayer, and one voiced before a group of loving, caring friends.

How might we describe a stony cold heart?

Well, perhaps it describes a person who feels hardened, one who seems icy in demeanor or relationships but also likely clouded by fear. Or maybe it is someone closed off and defensive or guarded and distrusting.

The individual is the only one who knows if this coldness and defensiveness is in regard to people or about their relationship with God. Regardless, scripture tells us that God knows about stony hearts, and He cares.

Because God wants the very best for us, He wants to exchange the stony heart for a tender heart.

Here’s an illustration to help us understand.

When problems arise and we’re tempted to be bitter — when there is injustice or pain that hurts so badly that we pull away in defense — we still have a choice. We can embrace the pain and justify our behavior, or we recognize the choice … to be bitter or be better.

When we choose and embrace bitterness, however justified we feel, the result is a hardened heart. We discount God’s ability to heal and care for us, and we want to guard and defend ourselves.

Once we embrace bitterness, it grows and the root takes hold. We continue to find reasons to justify this bitterness.

But God, and only God, is able to cut the root of bitterness without killing us. He can remove it.

Dare to submit yourself to spiritual surgery. Allow Him to remove the root and replace it with peace and a tender heart.

Choose tender, not stony! Until next week, Anita Onarecker, an Elgin resident, author of “Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge” and minister to women and adults, earned a Master of Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2007.