Heartwood and Not Taking Offense
As I was out walking, I came across a large tree that had fallen and been cut into a few large sections leaving the rings and a great view of the heartwood. The size of this tree called to me and I walked up to try and count the rings. As I came closer, I saw that the heartwood, the very center of the tree, had to a large degree been hollowed out. Its beautiful heartwood was damaged. If you do not know about the heartwood of a tree it is the beautiful darker colored wood in the trees center, and it is what provides the support and strength to the tree that enables it to stand tall. And here was a magnificent tree that had been felled because its heartwood was damaged.
How does the heartwood in the center of a tree get hollowed out like this? The heartwood becomes damaged when something enters it from the outside. The entry point to the heartwood is a wound in the tree’s bark allowing something, possibly a fungus but something that should not be in the tree to gain entry, and the very center, the core of a mighty tree, its strength and support enabling it to stand tall is forever damaged.
Our hearts are much like the heartwood of a tree. Scripture tells us our hearts are the center of our lives, influencing all we do, think, and feel. Proverbs 4:23 tells us “Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” And our hearts too can become damaged and wounded from the outside. As Christians, we are followers of Jesus in a broken world, and we can easily absorb the wounds from its sharp edges and much like the mighty tree in the forest our heartwood can become injured and leave a hole in the very center of our being. But psalm fifty-one tells us that unlike the tree our hearts can be renewed and transformed by God’s grace.
Think for a moment about the wounds you and I can absorb from another’s words, slights, hurts, anger, gossip, and rejection. And what about our own ability to hurt, to become aggravated, harbor resentment, unforgiveness, and our own insecurity. We question if we have been treated as if we are invisible, or we think about the times when we have been slighted or remember the friend that betrayed us, and a multitude of other hurts that have not healed. As we get hurt, anger grows, even a lack of self-worth, and as these thoughts take root inside us, our insecurity can grow. A perfect place where satan takes hold, and feeds our insecurities, fears, and doubts and soon our hearts are being damaged. Through our wounds the evil one has gained entry to our very core and is influencing our thoughts and our hearts.
But God being a good Father gives us advice, and guidance for our steps as we walk through this world. Let us look at a few of the places in scripture where our Father speaks to us to help us safeguard our hearts. In Proverbs 19:11, He tells us good sense makes one slow to anger and it is His glory to overlook an offense. God is telling us to overlook an offense, not to be so quick to take offense, and that in doing so we bring God glory. Taking offense is one of the things that wound us. In Galatians 1:10 we are asked to consider, if we are seeking the approval of man or of God. For if we are trying to please man we are not being a servant of God. Our wounds can all become things we give our attention, energy and focus to, and before we know it these thoughts and wounds have made their way into our hearts. Without our realizing it they have become our idols, idols being anything we focus on more than God. As we are offended, or find ourselves easily hurt we typically are needing the approval of others over God.
But we can take comfort in that as we choose not to take offense and not to let the wounds of this world enter us, we are bringing honor to our Lord. As we look to God for our peace, worth and well-being, it frees us of seeing the speck in another’s eye and missing the log in our own. We are all guilty of loving each other poorly, of hurting others and of allowing their hurts to affect our hearts. Ephesians 4:32 tells us that rather than holding on to things that will only damage our souls we can seek our Lord’s grace and strength in us and focus on what Paul says, which is to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven us.
As we move closer and closer to taking deeply within ourselves the knowledge that it is in Christ that our true identity lies, we find that others hurts, opinions, or nastiness, will all matter less. We will not need to be offended. It is Christ who knows our hearts, who loves and values each of us, it is in Him that our true self-worth is found. As we overlook offenses, let go of unforgiveness, God’s grace grows in us, and transforms us as we grow in the fruits of His spirit, love, peace, kindness, patience, and self-control.
It is in Christ that all our failed efforts, hurts, imperfections, and wounded hearts can be brought and be held safe, waiting to be healed. It is in Christ that our hearts can be made whole. It is in Christ that the heartwood of our being will stay strong, and we like the mighty tree will stand tall as we honor and follow Christ in this world.
Please join me in prayer as we close and give thanks. Father hear us, heal us, comfort and strengthen us, convict us when we are wrong, help us to find the right path to see and do your will. Help us Father to know your love and that each of us is worthy and valued. Help us Father to not take offense, to safeguard our hearts and honor you through our actions. In Jesus name, we give thanks and prayer. Amen.
Thanks for joining us and until next time, praise God and God Bless.
