A Heart Sick Nation

 

As Americans, we are not a very settled people. In fact, we are probably the most depressed and dissatisfied generation that America has ever produced.

Here are a few reasons why we seem to have almost an epidemic on our hands of people that are heart sick with feelings of anxiousness, worry, and dissatisfaction:

 

1. A people that forget God will be an unsettled people

 

Isaiah tells us that when people turn away from God, they will be on a never-ending search for peace.

 

Isaiah 48:22 – “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.”

 

 

Isaiah 57:20-21 – “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”

 

2. Our hearts are off when there is a lack of biblical fatherhood

 

Malachi 3:6 tells us that the earth will be cursed if the hearts of the fathers are not turned toward the children. Unfortunately, the effects of this verse are seen in our country on a daily basis as many adult children are still dealing with the negative effects of unbiblical parenting.

 

3. Children are not taught to be comfortable with the quiet

 

As a family, we rarely turn the television on before 9 pm. We also do not allow music to be playing all day long in our home. This is because we feel it is important for children to learn to live without always having external stimulation.

Very few children and adults for that matter are ever alone and in the quiet with themselves, their conscience, and their God. Consequently, many are constantly having to add something into their minds, bodies, and emotions in order to feel at peace with God and themselves.

This is why I believe prayer and mediation in the Word should be such a vital part of our lives. It causes us to have to settle our hearts before a God that desires to give us peace in any situation. (John 14:27 and Philippians 4:6-8)

 

How this Affects Marriage and Relationships

 

Unsteady people are difficult to get along with. In fact, I believe they have a way of digging into those around them for the purpose of finding a satisfaction that only God can provide.

I actually believe that the most annoying people you know are probably the emptiest people inside. That is, they are constantly trying to get the approval and validation from others that they have never received from God. This often causes some to do the following:

 

1. They thrive on negative attention

 

Believe it or not but some people are annoying because they have allowed negative attention from others to become a filler in their lives.

 

2. They are hard to please

 

Spouses are entirely too small to fill the void only God can fill. This is why whatever you do for an empty person seems to fall short of making them happy. No amount of human love can replace the love we were created to receive from God.

 

3. They bring others down to their level

 

Misery loves company, and a truly miserable person seems to have an insatiable need to make those around them just as miserable as they feel within.

 

My Story

 

I often say that the problem with most is not that they fail to find what they are looking for as much as they look for something that does not exist. Consequently, many seem to feel their unsettledness within is a result of their environment or the people with whom they are associated. However, all of these are often the target of misguided blame as the true source of discontentment is always our own unstable hearts.

I often thought that my lack of peace within was a result of a lack of peace without. But, to be honest, it was the other way around.

It was a great day when I realized that one of the primary reasons why I had unstable relationships was not that I had the wrong people in my life as much as I had a wrong spirit within.