Everything changed when I first heard it. Nearly 10 years ago, as my wife and I met with our obstetrician, I heard the sound that reshaped my life completely. On that September morning, I heard the sound of my son’s heartbeat for the very first time.
This wasn’t the first time we tried. No, we had attempted to detect the baby’s heartbeat during an appointment a few weeks earlier, but to no avail. We were still early in the pregnancy at that point, so it had been a long shot at best. This time, however, the doctor was able to locate the heartbeat right away. In fact, for a couple minutes that seemed like an eternity, she thought she found two!
The sound of that heartbeat reverberated within me. My heart resonated with my unborn son’s heart. For the rest of the pregnancy, regardless of where I was or what I was doing, all I had to do was think about that heartbeat and it would get my own blood pumping. My son’s life brought me to life.
That was the moment the pregnancy became “real” for me. Oh, I knew we were having a baby—I was excited and looking forward to the child’s arrival—but hearing that thumping transformed it from a distant expectation to a present reality. No longer was I preparing for some event that would be happening five months down the road. No, once I heard that heartbeat, the joy that a new life was present and a new body was being formed crystallized in my own heart. My son was preparing for his grand entrance.
Hearing that heartbeat changed everything.
As I reflected upon the impact my son’s heartbeat had on me, I began to wonder: is that what it’s like for believers, too?
For many, the Christian faith is predominantly about the future. It has eternal implications, but very little impact on the here and now. They may go through all the motions of being a Christian—even praying regularly and reading the Bible faithfully—but have no experience of real life change.
The Christian life is meant to be much more than that. Something much more immediate, more intimate, more intrinsic to who you are. Eternal life in the presence of the Saviour is not only something to be activated in the afterlife; it’s intended to be experienced today.
The secret lies in hearing the heartbeat of God and allowing it to resonate within you. Through the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, He can bring you alive to the life He has for you right now.
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This is the opening chapter to Greg Hanson’s book, Heartbeat of God, in which he explores five tips for developing a heart that resonates with God’s heart. Available now on Amazon.
