Daily Devotion

“God is at work enlarging the boundaries of my heart.” – Howard Thurman

In preparation for co-facilitating a Contemplative Book Study on Thurman’s seminal work “Jesus and the Disinherited”, I bought a copy of “Meditations of the Heart” by Howard Thurman as well. This book is a collection of meditations and prayers written by Thurman and this book has become my current devotional book. The quote above is from a meditation entitled “Not Pity, but Compassion”, where Thurman reflects on how God is working in each of our hearts to make to make room for compassion in them by enlarging the boundaries of the heart itself. 

In this same meditation, Thurman also addresses how we struggle against the work of God to enlarge our hearts, “I struggle against the work of God in my heart; I want to be let alone. I want my boundaries to remain fixed, that I may rest.” For as much as I want to argue with Thurman on this point, I know his writing speaks truth into my life. 

When I take a moment to step back and review on all the events of the last year, I know that there is work to be done at every level – from the national level down to the personal level. And I would want to be counted in the group working for change. But the work might just mean that my boundaries would have to expand. And in all honesty, it is easier to just remain fixed. 

However, as Thurman’s meditation so accurately ends, “But even now, as I turn to Him in the quietness, His work in me is ever the same. God is at work enlarging the boundaries of my heart.” And for that I am thankful.

• Can you identify examples of where God has enlarged the boundaries of your heart?
• Can you think of times when you remained fixed in your boundaries?
• What does struggling against God’s work in your life look like for you?
• Which boundaries would you like God to continue expanding in your heart?