Years ago I had a blog (pre-facebook days, if that tells you how ancient this idea is) named Kardia. I liked the name because Kardia is the greek word for "heart." Little did I understand what this word meant, or how it was used in the Bible. Over the past several years I've been on a journey discovering my own heart, and what the Bible really says about it.
I can honestly say I was shocked.
Kardia isn't all about feeling, or emotion. There's no "follow your heart" here (and, to be honest, the more I've learned about the heart, the more I realize that action is leading me straight off a cliff). In the Bible the idea of strong emotion or feeling is contained in the word splagchnon. That word isn't near as pretty, is it? This word refers to your intestines, or your bowels. Think about ancient Egypt--when they mummified someone they took out their vital organs (including intestines) and put them in jars as revered objects for the afterlife.
Isn't that appetizing...
We even have that usage in our speech today--it is that "gut feeling" you get about something. So, in modern culture, when we say "follow your heart," we really mean "follow your intestines."
Really gives you a new picture of digestion, doesn't it? And, on a side note, how often are our emotions changed by what we eat? Think about that for a minute...
So, back to kardia. The heart. The Bible talks a LOT about the heart! The easiest way to summarize what this word means is this:
The heart is a person's thoughts, beliefs, desires, will, emotion (yes, it is here too), reasoning... all of the inner man. It's what is inside of you, what you cannot see or touch.
Needless to say, I had no idea that's what the word meant when I created my first blog oh so many years ago. I look back on it and see how my heart was revealed--full of pride! That was a humbling journey, to re-read my old blog. God is quite merciful, let me tell you...
The past several years I've been immersed in the biblical counseling model. When I was first introduced to this concept I was very much against it--I believed that biblical counselors simply labeled everything as sin and completely missed the totality of a person. Not EVERYTHING could be sin! Right?
I was wrong about biblical counseling. Now I'm in the process of becoming a certified biblical counselor. You will see this journey reflected as I go down this path, along with other things (expect my puppy to end up on here. She's cute, and I can't help it).
I named the blog Kardia Changing because that's what this is... my heart, changing. Growing. Reflecting (prayerfully!) more of Christ, and less of me. It is a journey.
Soli Deo gloria
I can honestly say I was shocked.
Kardia isn't all about feeling, or emotion. There's no "follow your heart" here (and, to be honest, the more I've learned about the heart, the more I realize that action is leading me straight off a cliff). In the Bible the idea of strong emotion or feeling is contained in the word splagchnon. That word isn't near as pretty, is it? This word refers to your intestines, or your bowels. Think about ancient Egypt--when they mummified someone they took out their vital organs (including intestines) and put them in jars as revered objects for the afterlife.
Isn't that appetizing...
We even have that usage in our speech today--it is that "gut feeling" you get about something. So, in modern culture, when we say "follow your heart," we really mean "follow your intestines."
Really gives you a new picture of digestion, doesn't it? And, on a side note, how often are our emotions changed by what we eat? Think about that for a minute...
So, back to kardia. The heart. The Bible talks a LOT about the heart! The easiest way to summarize what this word means is this:
The heart is a person's thoughts, beliefs, desires, will, emotion (yes, it is here too), reasoning... all of the inner man. It's what is inside of you, what you cannot see or touch.
Needless to say, I had no idea that's what the word meant when I created my first blog oh so many years ago. I look back on it and see how my heart was revealed--full of pride! That was a humbling journey, to re-read my old blog. God is quite merciful, let me tell you...
The past several years I've been immersed in the biblical counseling model. When I was first introduced to this concept I was very much against it--I believed that biblical counselors simply labeled everything as sin and completely missed the totality of a person. Not EVERYTHING could be sin! Right?
I was wrong about biblical counseling. Now I'm in the process of becoming a certified biblical counselor. You will see this journey reflected as I go down this path, along with other things (expect my puppy to end up on here. She's cute, and I can't help it).
I named the blog Kardia Changing because that's what this is... my heart, changing. Growing. Reflecting (prayerfully!) more of Christ, and less of me. It is a journey.
Soli Deo gloria