Hebrews 3:7-8 “…Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
How many of you have been wounded by unmet expectations?
Hit by a mischaracterization of who you are?
Have you ever had a relationship explode in front of you?
Have you experienced disappointment so strong that it has seared future hope?
Everyone needs encouragement, but Christians who have been wounded in battles such as these need a special infusing of courage in order to remain faithful and loyal to their commander in chief. When the shrapnel of rejection, betrayal, or disappointment hits, we have the opportunity to choose how we will respond. Will we let the wounds calcify and harden our hearts or be used to propel us on to moral excellence?
Those who receive Purple Hearts in the military are those who have been killed or wounded in battle by shrapnel, mines, biological agents, or explosions. Most who are given this Medal of Honor exhibit the same mindset as my father-in-law, who received the Purple Heart in WWII: “I was just doing my duty.”
God intends that the wounds we receive in life not harden us, but “purple” us as we listen to his voice and simply “do our duty” in the midst of battle. We are in a great spiritual conflict. If we have not been wounded in one way or another we’ve probably spent most of our time in the barracks or on KP. If we are truly engaging, we will get hit at some point or another….many times. When this happens, remember that no “damage” is permanent. We serve One whose voice will teach us how not to harden our hearts….
One whose redemptive love will transform us into Purple Heart Christians.