Barbra Gentry-Pugh

Standing Orders for a Whole Heart

February 15, 2026

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34 (NIV)

^“ Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Yesterday, many across our nation celebrated Valentine’s Day, a holiday that has evolved over centuries from the story of Saint Valentine into a global expression of romance, affection, and friendship. Cards are exchanged, flowers are given, and love is publicly expressed.

While Valentine’s Day is not found in Scripture, the Bible speaks extensively about love, marriage, and relationships. The date itself may not be biblical, but the condition of our hearts certainly is. Valentine’s Day may remind us of romance, but God is far more concerned about the condition of our hearts than the condition of our flowers.

Working for many years in critical care, I learned that when the heart rhythm is irregular, the whole body feels it. The issue is not just what we see on the monitor, it’s what is happening deep within the heart’s electrical system. When the rhythm is off, instability follows. In the same way, when the heart of a marriage, or any relationship, is out of rhythm, everything else begins to feel unstable. Communication struggles, patience thins, and love feels strained!

When this happens, Marriage becomes the Laboratory, the Heart becomes the diagnosis, and Love becomes the Prescription.

God has already issued His Standing Orders for the Heart: humility, forgiveness, selflessness, and covenant love. These are not seasonal expressions or sentiments; they are daily directives for living. Because when the heart is whole, love flows, and when love flows from a whole heart, relationships stabilize.

Reviewing for the upcoming Biblical Counseling class, my co-teacher, Dr. Caruthers, will be leading the section on marriage. I look forward to gleaning from her insights. Yet in reviewing the material again, I was reminded just how deeply the condition of the heart shapes the covenant of marriage. I am reminded that covenant love requires a whole heart. Marriage is more than a relationship; it is a mirror of the heart. Other than the decision to accept Christ as Lord and Savior, the decision to enter into a lifelong marriage covenant is among the most significant decisions a person will ever make. It is not merely a romantic choice; it is a spiritual commitment that reveals and refines the heart.

Marriage does not create heart issues; it exposes them. And that is why God’s Standing Orders for a Whole Heart matters so much, because what flows from the heart will inevitably shape the home.

HEART CHECK:

Take a moment to examine your heart rhythm honestly before God:

Is there any irregular rhythm in my heart for any pride, unforgiveness, impatience?
Am I trying to correct someone else’s behavior without examining my own heart?
Has my love become conditional rather than covenantal?

HEART CHALLENGE: This week, Be Intentional!

Before you give flowers, give forgiveness.
Before you send a card, search your heart.
Before you expect love, choose to live it.

Ask God this week to restore any irregular rhythms within your heart so that love may flow freely and fully. Because when the heart is whole, love flows.
And when love flows from a whole heart, relationships stabilize.

STANDING ORDERS FOR THE WHOLE HEART Daily Administration of God’s Prescription for Loving Well!

Guard the Heart: Protect it from bitterness, comparison, and resentment. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”Proverbs 4:23.
Examine the Heart: Ask God to reveal pride, selfishness, or hidden wounds. Psalm 139:23-24:
Cleanse the Heart: Confess quickly, and release offenses quickly. 1 John 1:9
Soften the Heart; refuse hardness and choose humility. Ezekiel 36:26
Anchor the Heart in Covenant Love; love is not merely a feeling; it is a daily decision to act in obedience. Colossians 3:14

These are not seasonal sentiments; they are divine directives.

Valentine’s Day may come and go, but the condition of our hearts remains. Flowers will fade. Cards will be put away. But the rhythm of our hearts will continue to shape our homes, our marriages, and our witness. God has already written His Standing Orders for a Whole Heart. They are not optional suggestions; they are life-giving directives. When we guard, examine, cleanse, and soften our hearts, love does not have to be forced; it flows. And when our hearts beat in harmony with Christ, our relationships find their rhythm again. Because when the heart is whole, love flows.

LET’S PRAY: Father God, thank You for Your authoritative, inerrant, and inspired Word, which gives us clear instructions on how to truly love. Father, You are the Master Physician of our hearts. Search us and reveal anything that is out of rhythm with You. Where there is pride, bring humility; where there is bitterness, bring forgiveness; where there is hardness, bring tenderness. Father, please restore the rhythm of love in our marriages, our families, and our relationships. Teach us Father to live by Your Standing Orders –Your Word daily, not just in moments of celebration, but in ordinary days. May our hearts beat in harmony with Yours, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.