The deepest struggle in marriage is not money, miscommunication, or even differences in personality—it is hardness of heart. When our hearts grow hard, we stop listening, stop forgiving, and let the sorrowful mysteries of life overwhelm us. Instead of turning toward one another, we retreat into silence or resentment.
Jesus warned that hardness of heart was the reason Moses permitted divorce (Matthew 19:8). The danger is not conflict itself, but indifference—a lukewarm spirit that refuses to be moved by love. When we dwell in our brokenness instead of in our blessedness.
The same is true in our relationship with God. We cannot be divided or half-hearted. Revelation 3:16 reminds us that lukewarm faith is unacceptable. To receive the love we were created for, we must be all in—bringing both our beauty and our brokenness.
In this first week of Advent, we rest in hope. Part of hope is knowing that all things are being created new. This includes the state of our hearts. Marriage thrives when two people choose vulnerability over bitterness. Faith thrives when we offer God our whole selves, even the wounded parts. This is the path to a softened heart, and love transforms us.
The greatest challenge is hardness of heart. The greatest gift is letting love break it open, to hope.
Smitten With Goodness 