Nov. 3, 2010
For Immediate Release
By Natasha Janes, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Dr. Eric Bruns, associate professor of psychology at Campbellsville University, spoke on the desires of the heart at a recent chapel at CU in the Ransdell Chapel.
Bruns told the audience the greatest commandment in the Bible is in Matthew 22:37-39, stating, ‘“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
Bruns spoke about the seven desires of every heart and how they apply to relationships. He gave the example of a married couple in Hollywood getting divorced and said there is even “trouble in paradise.” Yet, striving to satisfy the seven desires of your partner's heart could lead you to a successful relationship he said.
The first desire of every heart is to be heard and understood which means not only listening to words but also hearing the heart of the person speaking to show that you care.
Bruns said, “If you want to be heard, you must start by listening.”
The second desire of every heart is to be affirmed meaning every person needs to believe that someone approves of who we are and what we do. We need to be a positive influence in someone's life by being affirming because no affirmation leads to low self-confidence he said.
The third desire of every heart is to be blessed because it makes you feel good about who you are rather then what you are. The fourth desire is to be spiritually and emotionally safe, meaning free of fear and anxiety.
The fifth desire is to be touched, non-sexually and sexually, and this need remains with us from birth until death.
Bruns said, “Sexual sin is a huge problem in our society today and leads us to temptations that are not healthy or productive.”
The sixth desire is to be chosen because people desire to be selected by someone for a special relationship and the seventh desire is to be included because we long to belong, not only to God but to others also.
Bruns said fulfilling the desires of others can only be done with God's help and we can't do better then by following His example. The secret to contentment is to fulfill our own seven desires in our heart and to also fulfill the desires of other people's hearts. Bruns said, “True contentment comes from having realistic expectations, exchanging fantasy for vision, following your passion, surrounding yourself with encouraging people, cultivating gratitude and knowing that even when you are in pain- God is good.”
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master's degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.