Growing up, the phrase “bless your heart” was commonly used by my grandmother. It means that you love someone and more generally, that you feel sympathy for someone. It was used when I broke bones or failed a test, both of which I seemed to do regularly. But she was always there with that statement, and honestly, it made me feel better because I knew she loved me and cared about how I was feeling.

The Bible gives a powerful description of the compassion of our God in the Parable of the Lost Boy, “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). I can see the scene of the son returning to the Father and I can feel the tears running down the boy’s face as his Father embraced him… because I was once that boy. When I sinned, my heavenly Father forgave me and hugged my soul. Broken and defeated, I close my eyes and I can just image God whispering, “bless your heart.”

It would be great if we followed the example of our Father and put our arms around others more often and whispered, “bless your heart.” As Paul instructed the Corinthians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4). To forgive and be forgiven, these are qualities of the people of God. 

Bless your heart, a simple phrase when you don’t know how to express the deep sympathy that you have toward those in pain, either physical or spiritual, but a phrase that lets other know you love them as God loves them.

By: Justin Odom