I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
                    (Ezekiel 36:26) NLT

Because I am going to have surgery in a few weeks, I had to be cleared for that surgery by my cardiologist. I had an echocardiogram and he wanted to do a stress test as well. A medical stress test helps diagnose problems with our physical heart (nothing serious in my case).
In life, an emotional stress test often pinpoints problems with our spiritual heart. It might be easy to put on a good front when things go smoothly, but under the pressures of trials, hurts, and disappointments, what’s really in our heart usually comes out. Sometimes, it’s not a pretty sight. How we respond to stressful situations mirrors how we respond to Jesus as Lord. Do we trust Him to work out the circumstances of our lives? Are we willing to submit to His plans and obey His commands? Do we really believe He is always good and has our best interests in mind?
Even if we fail a spiritual stress test, there’s good news. Jesus is always ready to align our hearts with His so that we can respond to negative situations with a Christ-like attitude that honors Him. The process begins when we ask for His healing touch.

Faith Step:     Think of the last time you faced a highly stressful situation. How did you respond? Ask Jesus to make your heart more responsive to Him, regardless of your circumstances.