What is your heart bathing in? From what source are you immersing your mind? We all soak something up to restore ourselves amidst the pollutants of the heart we are assaulted by, and we are wise to consider the source. What is breathing life (or something else) into your soul?!
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” – Matthew 6:23
The idea of a “wellspring” captures my attention. Because a wellspring (an original and bountiful source of something); if contaminated, impacts everything it flows into. In the case of our hearts – it affects our whole lives.
Consider a pool; a fresh, cool, clear body of water that beckons the weary sun scorched passersby to take a dip in her glassy depths. Those of us who are cautious, investigative, controlled; we offer a toe, and as our confidence and bravery grows we plunge in a knee, and then two. We wade in chest deep and finally submerge our full selves and let the rippling water wash over us. Some of us offer our commitment at first glance in light of the rewards of immediate submission and plunge in head first, arms reaching and legs stretched out, embracing the cool shock of the anticipated watery cocoon.
Our souls ache for the refreshment of being immersed in a pool of truth. To wash off the stench of lies, exhaustive arrogance and all things ruthlessly demanded of our hearts. We all pull from something to offer in response to questions, to cultural shifts and trends, to religious presentation and all things that are tough to wrap our minds around. We pull from our pool of truth. Truth is attractive – and powerful, because it is eternal.
And we control what our pool of truth looks like. Not to be confused with controlling truth… just what we offer authority as truth.
So what does your pool of truth look like? Is it trustworthy, life-giving and accurate? Is it a place for your soul to be protected by and poured into, or is it confusing and disconcerting? Is it clear or muddied? Is it deep or shallow? Is it refreshing or toxic? What is feeding it? What is its’ life source? Are you replenishing? Cleaning it out? What does its’ foundation look like – are there cracks? Is it reliable material? Will it stand the test of time and stress? Is it worthy of caring for your heart and soul?
Sweet people, we are all building a pool of truth in our hearts; and my ache, my hope, is that we would be filling it truth by truth with clear, sparkling, unadulterated water with a foundation that is unable to be shattered and a source that proves to be a wellspring of life.
If we want any shred of a chance to do life well, to face difficulty and defeat that which challenges our peace; if we want the overflow of our hearts to be prosperous and point to true hope, we must be regularly bathing in a life-giving pool of truth.
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10
And then… when our hearts are full and we are overflowing with life – only then are we able to speak into the darkness that which we saw in the light. We become purposeful. We become ambassadors of life.