A Heart Condition

 

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. (Proverbs 27:17-22 ESV).

 

Cheetahs are the greatest runners on the planet. The anatomy of this beautiful, slender, and elegant animal maximizes agility and velocity. One of these felines’ most prominent characteristics is their light bodyweight, which helps them gaining speed faster. On top of that, they have small heads and long legs for getting the best out of aerodynamics’ law. Also, their flexible spine allows for extreme extension during the run. To accelerate, only one foot at the time is in contact with the ground. If that was not enough, cheetahs’ semi-retractable claws, contrary to big cats, never fully retract, which means they are always ready to provide powerful traction to the ground. Other adaptations include wide nostrils, a powerful heart, and large lungs to allow more oxygen to the muscles, facilitating the sprinting. Keep in mind that cheetahs’ anatomy is all set for sprinting. These felines can sustain high speeds for short bursts, but they take up to 30 minutes to fully recover after having chased their prey. This is true because while they have a powerful heart, it is very small.

 

While chasing prey, cheetahs can run about 60 miles per hour, but only in short spurts. This fast cat’s speed is limited to sprints because of its small heart. Endurance at that speed would require a larger heart. The Christian’s life of obedience calls for endurance. It cannot afford the “heart condition” of a small heart, possibly engaging only in a spurt now and then. Proverbs talks about a person’s life as a reflection of his or her heart.

 

Talking about someone’s “heart condition” and how it shows in their life, one might ask, “How big-hearted is he?” or “Does she have the heart for it?” A physical heart condition may prevent someone from strenuous activity, but a spiritual heart condition is more dangerous. For example, if we have a heart condition that makes us miserly, we are not apt to share from the abundance we have been given. On the other hand, a heart condition that leads to sharing the joy of Jesus, who lives in our hearts, gives us the stamina for a life of faithful obedience. Filled with his unconditional love, we’ll have a large, well-conditioned heart!