"Follow your heart!" This flowery phrase is the stuff romance novels and movies are made of. It's usually what the recipient of advice wants to hear, regarding a relationship, and it's an easy out for the one they're seeking advice from... a win/win recommendation. Right? There's one major problem. The heart is not trustworthy. I know this isn't particularly what you expect to read in a Valentine's Day post, but I didn't say it; God did. In fact He said it a little more bluntly. Are you ready to hear His estimation of our human hearts? Here goes..."The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked..." Jeremiah 17:9. Ouch! My translation: If your goal is to be deceived, follow the old ticker.
I have taken a light-hearted approach --- no pun intended --- in introducing this thought, but who would have kept reading if my first sentence had been, "Your heart is desperately wicked!"? Now that it's out on the table, I hope you'll stick with me, because this topic is of utmost importance.
Okay, so the Lord has broken the news about the sad condition of our hearts. Is there any hope for us? YES! But we'll get to that later.
The tendencies of the human heart have always been sinful. That's why God gave us this advice back in the Old Testament: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23. "Above all else?" I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I deduce that this may mean God expects guarding our hearts to be right up there around number one on our list of priorities. How do we do this, practically? We find the answer in Colossians 3:1-2. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Note the word "set". We set radio dials. We set thermostats. We set timers, but, setting our affections (the heart) seems to be, somewhat, a foreign concept. When we set our radios, we tune in to the desired station and tune out all others. We make a conscious choice about what we will listen to. In the same way, we can tune our hearts to "things above." God gives a list of some of these things in Philippians 4:8. "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Not setting our hearts results in being the kind of people described in Ephesians 4:18 --- "separated from the life of God." The verse goes on to disclose the reason for this separation, "...due to the hardening of their hearts." Verse nineteen reads: "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality..." What did they lose sensitivity to that caused their hardened hearts? They lost sensitivity to their awareness and appreciation of God. They didn't keep their hearts set. Romans 1:20-21 bears this out. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities --- His eternal power and divine nature --- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." Verse twenty-eight says: "...they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind..."
When we lose sensitivity to God, we become dependent on our senses (sensual). " Following our hardened hearts, engulfs us in a downward spiral. Previously, we read part of Ephesians 4:19. Here is the verse in its entirety: "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." James 1:15 reveals the final stage of sin. "...when sin is accomplished it brings forth death." We see the progression of a hardened heart in these two verses:
loss of sensitivity to our Creator > living sensually > indulging in impurity > continual lust for more impurity > eternal death
Alllrrigghhttty! So maybe this isn't the perfect place to say, "Happy Valentine's Day." In actuality, it is! Just when it looks like our fate is sealed, and we are doomed to eternal death, Jesus charges in to save His damsel in distress. Here is the amazing "happily ever after" part. Here's what the Savior does for everyone who obeys the gospel: "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17. Not only have we become new, listen to this incredible verse: "...Christ will make His home in your hearts, as you trust in Him..." Ephesians 3:17. Yes, you heard it right! Christ Himself will recreate us and dwell in our hearts that were once desperately wicked. Ephesians three continues, "...Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:17-19. Now that's a Valentine message!
I have taken a light-hearted approach --- no pun intended --- in introducing this thought, but who would have kept reading if my first sentence had been, "Your heart is desperately wicked!"? Now that it's out on the table, I hope you'll stick with me, because this topic is of utmost importance.
Okay, so the Lord has broken the news about the sad condition of our hearts. Is there any hope for us? YES! But we'll get to that later.
The tendencies of the human heart have always been sinful. That's why God gave us this advice back in the Old Testament: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23. "Above all else?" I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I deduce that this may mean God expects guarding our hearts to be right up there around number one on our list of priorities. How do we do this, practically? We find the answer in Colossians 3:1-2. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Note the word "set". We set radio dials. We set thermostats. We set timers, but, setting our affections (the heart) seems to be, somewhat, a foreign concept. When we set our radios, we tune in to the desired station and tune out all others. We make a conscious choice about what we will listen to. In the same way, we can tune our hearts to "things above." God gives a list of some of these things in Philippians 4:8. "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Not setting our hearts results in being the kind of people described in Ephesians 4:18 --- "separated from the life of God." The verse goes on to disclose the reason for this separation, "...due to the hardening of their hearts." Verse nineteen reads: "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality..." What did they lose sensitivity to that caused their hardened hearts? They lost sensitivity to their awareness and appreciation of God. They didn't keep their hearts set. Romans 1:20-21 bears this out. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities --- His eternal power and divine nature --- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." Verse twenty-eight says: "...they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind..."
When we lose sensitivity to God, we become dependent on our senses (sensual). " Following our hardened hearts, engulfs us in a downward spiral. Previously, we read part of Ephesians 4:19. Here is the verse in its entirety: "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." James 1:15 reveals the final stage of sin. "...when sin is accomplished it brings forth death." We see the progression of a hardened heart in these two verses:
loss of sensitivity to our Creator > living sensually > indulging in impurity > continual lust for more impurity > eternal death
Alllrrigghhttty! So maybe this isn't the perfect place to say, "Happy Valentine's Day." In actuality, it is! Just when it looks like our fate is sealed, and we are doomed to eternal death, Jesus charges in to save His damsel in distress. Here is the amazing "happily ever after" part. Here's what the Savior does for everyone who obeys the gospel: "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17. Not only have we become new, listen to this incredible verse: "...Christ will make His home in your hearts, as you trust in Him..." Ephesians 3:17. Yes, you heard it right! Christ Himself will recreate us and dwell in our hearts that were once desperately wicked. Ephesians three continues, "...Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:17-19. Now that's a Valentine message!
More verses to meditate on today:
1) "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a stedfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
2) "Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart---" Psalm 119:2
3) "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12
4) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8
