You Can Avoid a Spiritual Heart Attack - Anatomy of a Figurative Heart Attack

Anatomy of a Figurative Heart Attack

As with physical heart disease, one of the surest ways to prevent a heart attack spiritually speaking is to learn of its causes and then take steps to do something about them.  So let us consider some of the basic factors that contribute to problems of the heart-literal and figurative.

Diet. It is generally accepted that junk food, though appealing to the palate, offers little or no health benefits.  Similarly, mental junk food is readily available and tantalizing to the senses, but it is detrimental to one's spiritual health.  Cleverly marketed in the media is a profusion of material that features illicit sex and drugs, violence, and the occult.  Feeding one's mind on such a diet is deadly to the figurative heart.  God's Word warns:  "Everything in the world-the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one's means of life -does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world.  Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is it desire , but he that does the will of God remains forever. -1 John 2:16, 17. 

Healthful foods, like fruits and green vegetables, offer little appeal to a junk-food addict.  Likewise, wholesome and solid spiritual food may have little appeal to a person who has become accustomed to feeding his mind and heart on worldly fare.  For a time, he may subsist on  the "milk" of God's Word.  (Hebrews 5:13) In the long run, he doe snot develop the spiritual maturity needed to should his basic spiritual responsibilities in the Christian congregations and ministry.  (Matthew 24:14; 28:19; Hebrews 1-0:24, 25)  Some in that situation have allowed their spiritual strength to dwindle to such a point that they become inactive, or nonpracticing, Witnesses!

Another danger is that outward appearance can be deceptive.  Perfunctory performance of Christian duties may mask the growing frailty of a figurative heart that is weakened by secret indulgence in materialistic philosophies or entertainment that features immorality, violence, or the occult.  Such a faulty  spiritual diet may appear to have little effect on one's spirituality, but it could paralyze the figurative heart the way a poor diet can  harden the arteries and damage the literal heart.  Jesus warned against allowing improper desires to enter one's heart.  He said:  "Everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  (Matthew 5:28)  Yes, a poor spiritual diet can lead to a spiritual heart attack.  Yet, there are further concerns.

Next time: You Can Avoid a Spiritual Heart Attack - Exercise

The Watchtower, 2001