hat does God mean when He says, "I will give you a new heart" (Eze. 36:26)?* What does it mean to exchange our stony hearts for those of flesh and to have a new spirit placed in us? Of course He's not talking about that throbbing muscle that beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping approximately five quarts of blood a minute to keep us alive. He's talking about the symbolic heart, the one we wear on our sleeves. When we fall in love, it's stolen. When we're scared, it magically moves to our mouths. Faint hearts never won fair ladies, and stouthearted men fight for the right they adore. When God speaks of a new heart He's really talking about the brain, the decision-making center. The complexities of that brain are often compared to those of the computer, but at best the comparison is weak. Scientists have scarcely begun to understand how the mind works, and, for that matter, electronics engineers are equally unable to fathom the possibilities that lie ahead for the computer.

We smile now at a statement printed in Popular Mechanics, March 1949, but at the time it seemed reasonable: "A calculator on our first computer, the Eniac, is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, but computers of the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps weigh only 11Ä2 tons."¹

We are still somewhat ignorant about computers and their potential. Surely we are just as ignorant about our brains, our symbolic hearts. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).

The joyful answer is: God can. He who made the heart can cure it when it's sin-sick, make it whole when it's broken, soften it when it's hard and stony, humble it when it's proud, and calm it when it's fearful. He's the chief surgeon of the medical team that specializes in spiritual heart replacements.

Physical heart transplants have become almost commonplace. No headlines now. Time was when it took utmost courage for both doctor and patient to contemplate such a thing. Even now there is a challenging list of hurdles: the anxious wait for the donation of a suitable heart, the need for complete submission to the hands of the surgeon, the risk of infection in a suppressed immune system, the fear of rejection of the new organ, the great expense. And, of course, someone always has to die.

The doctors involved must agree on a diagnosis serious enough to warrant a heart transplant before making a final decision. They try to determine the exact cause of the failing heart. That can be difficult, since in some of the most serious cases there may be no outward symptoms, no pain. The patient may be blissfully and completely ignorant of a life-threatening heart condition.

The same God who says He will give us a new heart is specific with regard to the diagnoses that make transplants necessary.

Diagnosis 1: The Deceitful Heart
Coat-of-many-colors Joseph almost didn't have a chance. Father Jacob's favoritism added fuel to the brothers' burning jealousy, and they plotted Joseph's death. As a result of Reuben's plea, Joseph found himself looking up at a small circle of sky from the depths of a cistern, and Reuben's secret plan of rescue went awry. The other brothers imagined themselves compassionate when they hit upon the splendid idea of selling the dreamer to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. But what could they tell Jacob when his son did not return? Their words serve as an added indication of their worsening heart disease.

"So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then . . . they brought it to their father and said, 'We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?'" (Gen. 37:31, 32).

Would Jacob's sons lie? Of course not. They believed in the God of heaven. They would just not tell the whole truth. They said they had found Joseph's coat, and they had found it-on Joseph's back, of course, but no need to reveal that. A little deceit never hurt anybody, did it?

Ananias and Sapphira fell into the same trap, trying to make their fellow church members believe they were generous and self-sacrificing when it came to the new development program. Peter "told it like it was" when he called their deceit by its true name. He said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" (Acts 5:3). The transplant was rejected and the couple died because of the heart disease called deceit.

In the present era when deceitful advertising is so rampant, am I guilty?

Does this mask I wear depict the real me? Am I a "name-dropper" as I attempt to present an impressive image? Do I skillfully plant seeds of doubt about others in order to make myself look better? Most important of all, am I willing to let go of my deceit and accept the heart of truth that God offers me?

Diagnosis 2: The Envious Heart
Paul said he had been beaten five times with 39 stripes and three times with rods; he had been stoned once and shipwrecked three times. He had spent a day and a night in the open sea and had been constantly on the move, facing dangers on every side. Circumstances demanded that he work hard, sometimes without food, water, or sleep. He knew what it was to be cold and naked. Yet he could say, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Phil. 4:11).

Sometimes our envious hearts suffer from what we might call the "if only" disease. If only we were rich . . . If only we had a good job . . . If only we weren't ill . . . If only we were handsome or beautiful . . . If only we were more intelligent . . . If only we had a new car . . .

Sun Hee never suffered from the "if onlys." She did suffer from the effects of polio, which left her paralyzed from the waist down. The DeBolt family had adopted the little Korean girl. She had such a bright outlook on life that they soon dropped the H from her name and called her just plain Sunee.

One day her mother, with some misgivings and not knowing what her reaction might be, took her to a school playground to watch other children as they played on the swings and seesaws. Sunee noticed they weren't carrying crutches as she was. Her little heart filled with pity, not for herself, but for her playmates. Looking up at her mother, she asked, "If those children are good, will they get braces and crutches like mine?"² How precious is a heart so free from envy!

If anyone ever had cause to be envious, John the Baptist did. When cast into a dungeon cell for faithfully denouncing Herod's immorality, he must have been tempted to question the fairness of it all. Who wouldn't become a little despondent at such a reward for obeying God? While it is true that his followers visited him in prison, the news they brought was not exactly encouraging. They told him how people were now flocking to Jesus. Even before his dungeon experience John realized he had been replaced in the popularity polls by the fickle Jews.

"The crowds followed Jesus, and John's work seemed fast closing. Yet there was no wavering of his faith. 'He must increase,' he said, 'but I must decrease.'"³

Do I complain about my circumstances? When my coworker is promoted and I'm stuck in the same old job, are my inner feelings thoughts of joy for that person's success? Is life "just not fair"? Do I struggle with giving up my career even though I know it's time to move on and give someone else my position? Am I willing to exchange my envious heart for the peace and contentment found in the heart of Jesus?

Diagnosis 3: The Proud Heart
Being covered with precious glittering stones and treading them underfoot might tempt one to become proud. Perhaps that was one reason Lucifer's heart was lifted up. "Every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. . . . You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones" (Eze. 28:13, 14).

We sometimes forget how glorious heaven must be. Lucifer not only wore precious jewels; he walked on them! (We also forget that before the Flood precious stones were scattered on the surface of the earth. Today we stare in amazement at the unspeakable beauty of a valley painted with wildflowers. What must it have been like to gaze across a vast plain of colorful jewels as they sparkled in the sunlight?) What dazzling brightness surrounded Lucifer!

There were words of warning for him: "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" (verse 17).

Lucifer not only had access to jewels; he had beauty and wisdom. We can safely conclude that it was not the precious gems that were wrong. God had created them and placed His reflective beauty within them. It was not Lucifer's wisdom, or even his beauty, that was wrong. Those things also came from God. Self-exaltation was the problem.

Ah, the limelight! How we enjoy its glow! Success is sweet, and when others are aware of our success, it is sweeter yet. Hezekiah was a "good king," but even he could not resist showing off his treasures (2 Kings 20:13).

Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Alice hit upon a good definition of the proud heart. She once described a self-centered, attention-loving person as "the sort of man who wanted to be the corpse at every funeral . . . and the groom at every wedding."⁴

Am I proud because of my accomplishments? my talents? my good looks? my biblical knowledge? my family's good name? Do I fail to realize that I am debtor to others in the same measure that they have not had the opportunities I have had? In my proud so-called humility, do I sometimes try to blend into the woodwork and shun responsibilities? Will I accept the humble heart God wants to exchange for my proud one? Initial Cap. The list of diagnoses for our failing hearts is endless. What about the fearful heart? Elijah knew what it was like to be scared to death, for death is exactly what he wished for. And what about the stony heart? We share that one with the pharaoh who stubbornly refused the plea of God's messenger.

What really matters is not the diagnosis of our illness, but the prognosis for our recovery, and that's exciting! There's a surefire cure. God simply says, "My son, give me your heart" (Prov. 23:26).

In his book One Life,⁵ Christiaan Barnard tells about the first human heart transplant. He was the head of a medical team that performed the surgery in South Africa on December 3, 1967. Louis Washkansky, a 54-year-old diabetic with a leg wound that would not heal and a heart that was fast failing, knew he would die if he didn't get a new heart. There was no evidence that such a thing was even remotely possible, but he had faith in his doctor. His wife, Ann, knew that in order for him to get that first new heart someone would have to die. She said that thinking about that was the part that nearly killed her.

The dying man waited for weeks, sometimes hoping and sometimes giving up hope. Then suddenly there was a donor.

As Dr. Barnard assessed the situation, he struggled with the decision to go ahead. Would his arthritic fingers be capable of performing the delicate surgery? Could he find the right balance for the medication to prevent both infection and rejection of the new heart? When he finally made his decision, he prayed that God would guide his hands.

Just before Mr. Washkansky was placed under anesthesia, he asked the physician if he'd really get a new heart. When told he would, he expressed the hope that it would truly be a case of "out with the old and in with the new." Then, with complete trust, the patient submitted to the anesthesia and gave his life over to the control of the surgeon.

News of Dr. Barnard's success was flashed around the world. Although willing to share the details of the miraculous accomplishment, he was sometimes baffled by the questions asked. It was beyond comprehension that reporters could be concerned about any difference there might be in the age, race, religion, or sex of the two persons involved in the transplant. His only concern had been replacing a dying heart with a healthy one.

Fortunately for us, in the matter of spiritual heart transplants there is no waiting list for new hearts. It's just a matter of faith, and even that is a gift. It doesn't matter what our age or race or sex might be. Nor is there danger of rejection, for we ourselves are in control of accepting or rejecting the new heart. All we have to do is submit our lives into His hands.

But Someone had to die! Our Great Physician struggled with the decision to make the transplant available to us, agonizing to the point of sweating drops of blood. Yet "for the joy that was set before Him" (Heb. 12:2) He forged ahead. The joy of seeing lost sinners saved eternally made the sacrifice of His life worthwhile.

Am I determined to be a part of His joy?

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*Scripture quotations in this article are from the New King James Version.
¹ Quoted by Ira Flatow, They All Laughed (New York: Harper Perennial, 1993), p. 179.
² Joseph R. Blank, 19 Steps Up the Mountain: The Story of the DeBolt Family, 1st ed. (Philadel-phia: Lippincott, 1976), pp. 30, 31.
³ Ellen G. White, Education, p. 157.
⁴ Peter Collier and David Horowitz, The Roosevelts: An American Saga (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994), p. 18.
⁵ Christiaan N. Barnard, One Life (New York: Macmillan Co., 1969).

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Eunice Fisher is a retired secretary and teacher who writes from Amarillo, Texas.