Gut, heart or head?

Think carefully about the following questions:*

1. When I encounter a new situation or problem, am I likely to do something, anything, even before I possess all of the relevant facts? (gut)

2. When I am anxious or stressed, are people likely to tell me I’m overreacting? (heart)

3. When I am anxious or stressed, are people likely to tell me I’m shutting down or overreacting emotionally? (head)

Consider this: Am I a doer, feeler or thinker? Ask someone you love and trust to answer these questions if you want to get some honest feedback.

We make gazillions of decisions every day. 

Most of us don’t even think about how we make decisions. It takes a mature person to do some self-reflection to consider whether or not there is another way or if there is a better way to make decisions. Rarely does anyone consider how Jesus would want us make our decisions. But, becoming a more connected, devoted, generous follower of Jesus requires us not only to ask ourselves but ask Jesus how he wants us to handle the decision making process. 

Decision making is called discernment when we process with the Christian world view. How will I discern with help from the Holy Spirit? THAT is the ultimate question. Interesting, let this sink in... it’s not how I decide but how can I discern and how can I discern the will of God in this situation? Remember we are not to be conformed to patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2) Jesus wants to infiltrate your mind, heart and your gut. Here's why.

Compassion actually comes from the gut. 

The word used in the Greek is splagchnizomai. It means from the bowels where love and pity reside. Emotions had locations within the human body for the sophisticated Greeks. I think they were on to something back then. Maybe you’ve heard the term, “gut-wrenching.” Or become aware of the term "stress eating" or realize that people stuff emotions in our gut. It may be hard for some people to think with their gut because they’ve trained themselves their entire lives to be 'head people' who plan every move and try to predict other people’s moves and reactions. 'Heart people' wear their emotions on their sleeves. They cry easily and remain hurt for a long, long, long, long time. It’s hard for 'heart people' to make an decision without becoming paralyzed by the thought of how other people will be hurt. Don’t ask a 'heart person' to go with their gut. You will experience tears almost immediately because of the internal pressure they feel. You, my friend, will become Public Enemy #1 because you ‘gut people’ don’t understand the ‘heart or head people.’ Curb your frustration because they don’t have the capacity to do what you ask. We must all learn how to discern.

Our winsome Jesus is ridiculously compassionate with some of the people he came into contact with during his ministry. Notice, I didn’t mention he was ridiculously compassionate with everyone. He could discern when to be a gut person, a head person or a heart person. He was Jesus. But, the same Holy Spirit that empowers him can empower us. He expects his followers to do the same. Notice how Jesus responds to the crowds in this scripture passage. "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:35-36)

Please come to worship Sunday. Our community needs to work on our Spirit filled, Christ-like compassion. We really do need each other. Prepare for gut-wrenching gospel that will definitely change our world.

*The Road Back to You. Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. 2016.

Pastor Jen