Do I have blockages or leaks in my heart?

There have been many thoughts swirling through my heart and mind the last few days, and it is possible that they all flow together. Writing occasionally helps to see the trail between them, so here goes. 

It started when my husband opened the back of our house to find and repair the leaking drain pipe. The thought was he would open the wall, find the leak, replace the plumbing and put it back together. Upon opening it, he learned that the pipe had been punctured by a nail and it had leaked causing the wood to rot. I felt something stirring on this. This is the picture that was taken of the damage that was beneath the surface.

While this was being opened up, our church's plumbing was backing up. Having cleaned out and repaired all we knew to do did not fix it, so we had to call a plumber. He found a couple of things that were causing issues, repaired them, and left. That night there were still problems so we needed him to come back to finish the job. 

One system had leaks, and the other had blockages- both if left alone would have caused terrible damage to the perspective building. 

The leaky pipe that caused rot is like a heart that has been hurt from words that have been said, or even thought about a person. Words that were filled with lies, or hate, and they pierced them. If that hurt is left alone, it can "leak" and cause "rot" in my heart. Holding onto that hurt simply hurts me, not the one that did the hurting. 

Bitterness can be described, or defined, as unresolved anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly.

Matthew 6: 14-15 says this- "If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." (NLT)

The Message translation says it this way, "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."

Picture what had that pierced the pipe as the sharp words, or hurtful actions. If it is left open and raw without being cleaned and covered then dirt and germs can get in the wound causing infection. In the same way, if that hurt is not forgiven, the sting of that turns into unforgiveness, or bitterness. 

Ephesians 4: 31-32 says this, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." (NIV) 

“Get rid of ALL bitterness…” I don’t want to hold onto hurt, I want to clean the wound, if you will. I know my tendency is to cover and hide the hurt, going on like nothing is wrong until it has festered and become more painful than it needed to be. It is a habit I need to break, with His help.

Then Hebrews 12: 15 says, "Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." (NLT)

This simply brings home that bitterness can be some like a poison to my life. 

The question could be asked then, how do I get rid of bitterness? How do I resolve that anger?

It takes God to get through it all. He will help forgive those that haven't asked for it. He will take the sting out of what hurt. He may show me that the person didn't mean it that way, or realize that what was said was hurtful. 

    He is my peace- even through the hurtful things.

    He will help me to see that I am His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10- NLT)

He will help me to see myself through His eyes.

He helps...period!

The second problem was the pipes that were found to have blockages. These blockages had probably been building over the years, and then some of the pipes had not been used as much for a while. When the use went up again, it wouldn't flow as well because of what was in the pipes. 

                                                                 (Image captured from Blocked pipe hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy)

Occasionally, there are parts of our life that may potentially be like blockages in our life. It could be anything from a family habit, to a stronghold (from habitual reactions to circumstances that have been painful, for self protection), to incorrect thought processes. Watchman Nee said that hurts, and attacks if not opposed right away, they can cause us not to be able to maintain our ground. 

Just the word "blockage" and the symptoms of the plumbing system makes me think of constipation. It is not a pleasant experience, for anyone. It brings discomfort, aches, and it makes it difficult to think of much else. When trying to "fix" this situation, we take the steps we know to take, and we ask the Lord for help, for breakthrough. Often, adding more water will at least help. (Water of the Word, right?) Sometimes, adding a little more oil/fat to our diet can help, too. (Oil resembles the Holy Spirit). It is amazing how weak you feel with that blockage there, knowing that without relief it could be very detrimental. 

I see the similarities in the situations. I see how important it is to make sure not to have any "leaks" or any "blockages.  I don't want to have the stronghold that comes from my reaction to what has happened, or what I've felt. I want Him to be my stronghold, my protector, my fortress in times of trouble. 

Lord, help me. Help me not to have leaks or blockages in my heart. Help me not to succumb to hurts, and the fiery darts that are thrown at me. Help me to listen closely to you, to know when the hurts first happen, so I can oppose them, and maintain the ground that You have already helped me to gain. Help me not to let the poison of bitterness work rot in my heart. Help me to allow Your love and forgiveness to flow freely in my heart to those that have hurt me, even when it is that I have hurt myself. 

Thank you for your love.