Stress Test for the Heart

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

I went for a stress test recently at a local doctor’s office.  The goal of a stress test is to put your heart under duress to see how it responds.

A stress test, or exercise stress test, shows how your heart works during increasingly strenuous physical activity.  Because exercise makes your heart pump harder and faster, an exercise stress test can reveal problems with blood flow within your heart.

The Lord uses stress tests too.  Sometimes He may put your heart under duress to see how it responds.  A heart under duress can reveal areas that are not surrendered to God.

Is your heart under duress?  Do you feel like the four walls of your life are closing in?

If yes, I have the remedy – give thanks!

Giving thanks is all circumstances can cure a thousand ills.  It is the medicine for a hurting heart.  It can set your life on its proper course.

Giving thanks in all things says “God you and you alone deserve to sit on the throne of my heart.”  Giving thanks in all things knocks self off the throne and says “God, I trust you in all situations.”

During my stress test at the doctor’s office, the nurse gave me the option to stop the test at any time if I felt I could no longer handle the strenuous activity.  But she warned me that the longer I stay on the treadmill, the better chance of them identify any problems.

If you are in the midst of a difficult season of your life, don’t quickly ask God to remove the circumstances surrounding your situation.

Instead, stay the course and ask God to use this challenging time to reveal any areas of your heart that may not be fully surrendered to Him and then ask Him to give you the strength to raise the white flag and say Lord, I surrender all.