Keeping Our Hearts Open

In many ways, on many levels, these have been dismissal days in our country.

I have found myself, at various times, feeling disappointed, frustrated, or even hurt.

When I bump into these feelings, I can go into self-protect mode. I can insulate and isolate myself, wall off some part of my heart to stay safe and keep people out.

But a walled-off heart is not right. And it helps no one.

Paul Tripp gives us a picture of a different kind of heart, a heart willing to risk more for others. He characterizes the heart of the father in Jesus’s story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32):

“It is stirring to see that the father of the lost son never gave up, he never gave way to bitterness and anger, he never threw away his hope, he never closed the door of his heart, and he never quit loving his son.”

(Tripp, 2016, pp. 105-106)

Tripp is describing the relentless hope and outreach of a gospel heart, which is also the very heart of our Heavenly Father.

This open heart is what I want for myself, for the church, and for our nation.

This is the way of love, after all. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a, ESV).

I pray we won’t close off our hearts in this season when the world needs us most.

May the church be bold in faith, hope, and love.

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Tripp, P. D. (2016). Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. Crossway.