Mark 12:30 – Heart On Your Sleeve

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30 ESV)

Should you wear your heart on your sleeve? To wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve: To be very transparent, open, or forthright about one’s emotions.

I’m a very emotional person. I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve. I cry when I’m happy. I cry when I’m sad. I’m passionate about life. I’m passionate about death. I don’t touch much on politics because, well, that’s just not my thing. When I get angry, I get angry; but when I’m happy, oh you know I’m happy!

Years ago I asked God to give me His heart. Some people may be confused by this request, but I’ll explain. I’ve been down in the dumps, at the bottom of the barrel. I wanted to help others who were hurting, just the way I was hurting. I wanted to have compassion for people, and the only way this was possible was to expose myself to what others experienced.

Well, there’s a lot of pain in that request. In order for me to feel empathy for others, at some point in my life, I would have to experience what they had, good and bad. This required me to put myself out there, wear my heart on my sleeve, make myself vulnerable. Others cringe at the idea of exposing themselves, putting their heart on the line in fear it will be broken to pieces. Well, I am one of the few strange ones that actually like living life on the edge. And what I mean by that is I love living for God! If that requires me to shed some tears, experience some heartaches, jump through hoops, I’ll do it! If all of that gives me the opportunity to share with YOU, I’ll do it.

This is how I see it. Jesus wore His heart on His sleeve. He fed the poor, He healed the sick, He raised the dead, He befriended murderers, prostitute’s, thieves, the worst of the worst. Was He offended when He was mocked and ridiculed? Did He ever throw His hands up and say, “God, these people are too much for Me. You deal with them!” No, He did not.

Here is what I have found now that I wear my heart on my sleeve. I hold nothing back from anyone. I love to show how much I love others! How much I enjoy praying for them and seeing them through difficult times! Most of all, I love to see God manifested in their lives! It helps me believe that everyone has a unique story and they are deeply loved by God, just like I am.

So I’ll ask you again. Should you wear your heart on your sleeve?

Guest devotion by Olivia Cooper. Olivia is 37 years old and loves to live life for Jesus! She prays God continues to use her through her writings. She prays people hear God speak to them through her! Learn how you can become a guest writer.