You Can Avoid a Spiritual Heart Attack

A  World class athlete, in full command of his skill and to all outward appearances in excellent physical condition, suddenly collapsed during a practice session and died.  The athlete was Sergei Grinkov, a two-time Olympic gold medalist ice skater, whose  career was cut short just as it started to blossom-when he was only 28 years old.  What a tragedy!  The cause?  A heart attack.  It was said that his death was totally unexpected because there was no sign of any kind to indicate that he was suffering from heart disease.  Yet, examiners found that he had an enlarged heart and severely blocked arteries.



While it may appear that many heart attacks occur without warning, medical authorities say that it is rarely the case.  The truth is that such tell-tale signs and contributing factors are breathlessness, overweight, and chest pains are often ignored.  As  a result, even if death does not claim them as victims as the time of their heart attack, many become severely handicapped for the rest of their lives. 

The consensus of medical opinion today is that prevention of a heart attack requires constant vigilance in one's diet and life-style and regular check-ups.  Such measures, along with a genuine willingness to makes changes where necessary, will go a long way in sparing one the tragic efforts of a heart attack.

There is, however, another aspect of our heart that merits even more attention.  "More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart," the Bible warns us,  "for out of it are the sources of life."  (Proverbs 4:23)   This scripture, of course, is referring principally to the figurative heart.  Vigilance is needed to safeguard our physical heart, but it is even more important to remain on the alert if we want to protect our figurative heart against diseases that can lead to spiritual death.

Next time:  Anatomy of a Figurative Heart Attack

The Watchtower, 2001