Refreshing Your Heart

If your heart is weary, lean into God rather than trying to go it alone.

As Paul began to close his short letter to Philemon concerning Onesimus, he wrote an interesting phrase: refresh my heart in Christ (20). 

If you, like Paul, have walked through difficult seasons, trying times or just situations and circumstances that haven’t played out how you thought they would, you’ve probably felt the same way, even if you couldn’t quite find the words to express your feelings. Whether you’re grieving, in a season of waiting, walking through difficult circumstances or just taking it day by day, we all need our hearts refreshed in Christ. So what does that look like? 

Continue Reading Scripture.

In trying times or difficult seasons, it’s easy to hit pause on all the spiritual disciplines that orient your life and forgo habits like exercise and healthy eating because you don’t feel like it. But often, this is exactly the time when we need to lean into these habits, especially reading Scripture. The Bible is the primary way God has chosen to reveal himself to us, and it is often how the Holy Spirit speaks to us and helps us to understand more of God’s character. Reading the Bible gives us a new perspective, helps us to see how God works in the world and begins to realign our hearts with his. So, don’t give up. As you sit down to read Scripture, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what God wants to teach you and to refresh your heart, mind and soul. 

Seek Out Other Believers. 

When your heart is tired or circumstances are difficult, we sometimes seek to isolate ourselves, even from those we love the most. Resist the urge. Lean into your relationships with your loved ones and your church family. Find a few trusted Christian friends or advisers with whom you can share your burden or anxiety. Sometimes, living a faithful life means admitting that it’s hard and walking through that with and in front of other believers not only helps to make the burden a little easier, it also is a living testimony of God’s faithfulness to those around you. Don’t give up! 

Be Obedient to Christ. 

When your heart is weary or you’re physically, mentally and emotionally worn out, it’s easy to begin to wonder if God is listening or cares about our circumstances. When God is silent, he is often preparing us for the plans he has—but we can begin to wonder if we’ve been abandoned. In these times of weariness, hold on to the truth of Scripture: “I will never leave your or abandon you” (Heb. 13:5, CSB). You are never alone, even when it feels like it. 

In these times, when it feels easier to give up than lean in, choose to lean into God. Seek to pursue obedience, choosing to forgive rather than to hold on to grudges—even if the person doesn’t ask you for forgiveness. Choose integrity and truth when white lies seem the better path. Remain focused on Christ and the life he has called you to, offering your obedience to God as an offering. 

Sing in Worship, Even if You Cry. 

Whether grief, disappointment, sin or circumstances have wearied your heart, it can sometimes be difficult to join in the joyful songs of worship. Do it anyway. Beside the fact that studies show singing is good for your physical and mental health, choosing to worship when you don’t exactly feel like it is a testimony that you are seeking to put your faith in God and trust him rather than your feelings. Lift up your voice in worship, proclaiming who God is and what he has done, and let your worship be a testimony to your faith and God’s faithfulness to all those around you. 

Trust the Lord. 

“Out of the depths, I call to you,” the psalmist began Psalm 130—and sometimes that is the most honest prayer we can prayer. “Lord, I’m crying out to you from the depths of despair. You’re my only hope,” we say. But the psalmist goes on in Psalm 130, stating that he is placing all his hope in God and trusting him to work in this seemingly hopeless, impossible situation. “O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows,” the psalmist implored in Psalm 130:7. You can trust in the Lord, even when your heart is weary and sad, and trust in his faithfulness, his unfailing love and his power to redeem. In those seasons when your heart needs to be refreshed, remember that only God can bring light where there is only darkness and life where there is only death.