Blockages

In a natural heart, an unhindered flow of blood is essential and so obstructions are a problem. There are various heart blockages – all of them serious – some disastrous.

In our spiritual heart the same is true. But what are these blockages?

In this series, I have established that the rhythm of grace involves the reception of mercy from God and the giving of grace to others, the reception of bad news from the world and the giving of praise to God.

Of course, there are many sins which can prevent these four vital functions, but I would like to suggest that there are four main culprits: self-hatred, self-righteousness, self-deception, and self-centredness.

Self-hatred stops us receiving mercy from God because we feel we don’t deserve it.

Self-righteousness stops us giving grace to others because we think they don’t deserve it.

Self-deception stops us receiving criticism from the world because we think we don’t deserve it.

Self-centredness stops us giving praise to God because we think He doesn’t deserve it.

These four spiritual heart blockages stem from a failure to understand God’s mercy and grace. His mercy doesn’t give us what we do deserve, and His grace does give us what we don’t deserve.

Do we accept that we deserve judgement not mercy?

Do we understand that we can give grace because we have been shown grace?

Do we recognize that there will always be bad news in a fallen world?

Do we acknowledge that God always deserves our praise?

Robert