Heart Awareness Month reminds us to pay attention to what keeps our physical hearts beating strong. Scripture tells us to look at our spiritual hearts–the inner place where our thoughts and faith take root.

What fills our hearts shows on our faces. Joy is not only an emotion to show, but the evidence of the life we have in and through Christ. Likewise, sorrow dampens our mood, and shifts the focus from God to our troubles.

God is the original heart surgeon. In this passage of Ezekiel he is telling his people that he is going to replace their hearts in order to make them holy, set apart. They have been captives in Babylon and needed to understand God would not let them live like other cultures, worship other gods. As Christians, we have a similar message. We are to be set apart as the spotless Bride of Christ.

Are you content with your life? Contentment is defined on gotquestions.org as “the state of being mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are.” Especially as a caregiver, you may feel this is a difficult thing to achieve when your days are full of uncertainty, difficult medical decisions, and bills. But the reality is that true contentment and rest in the Lord will be above the circumstances of your life.

I have a confession. For a couple of months earlier this year I got sucked into some viral videos where people read aloud messages left on Reddit boards. Long tales of ruined weddings, unfaithful spouses, and bad employers came with a laugh as the hosts gave advice on how the situation should be handled. What amazed me was how frequently people’s lives were being devastated by the selfishness of others. It is proof that we do indeed live in a sin-sick world, where people often prioritize their own needs above the needs of others.