YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES AFFECT YOUR HEART!
We need to be aware of the condition of our heart. In 1 Corinthians 11:28 it says, "But let a man examine himself....". If we are unaware of our spiritual heart condition, our heart will bring forth things that we did not even know were there.
In Matthew 15:18-20 Jesus said our problems in life come out of our hearts. It is not always fun to examine our own hearts, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, the positive results will be worth it. When your heart is hardened, you are not aware of what is going on in your life. You can become closed off to the truth, and end up deceived. It is similar to a farmer's field, when the ground is hard, the water can't seep through, the good seed can't be planted, but when the field is plowed and the soil is loosened, the ground can receive the seed and the water and produce a prosperous crop. What is your heart full of? Anger, confusion, hurt, pain, rejection, loneliness, bitterness, insecurity, inferiority, anxiousness, strife, needing approval, difficulty trusting, disagreeable, fear of failure or defensive? What does a healthy whole heart result in? Prosperity will flow, relationships will become easier, beauty flows out of a whole heart. 3 John 2 - when your soul prospers, you will prosper in all things. A healthy heart confesses faults to remove what is wrong and confesses the Word of God to receive what is right. Mark 11:23 Jesus said: For I say to you, that whoever will say unto this mountain be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he says. We are free from what we confess and bound to what we cover. A healthy heart looks forward to the promises to come.
Three Tests For A Heart Focused On God
Can you submit?
Do you have a desire to learn?
Are you open and honest?
When your our heart is soft, you are not afraid to listen and take counsel. You are able to receive. You do not have to act like you know it all. God's heart is to always bring us increase and growth. How does He do that? John 3:30 says, "He must increase and we must decrease". That just means that we will need to give up our way of doing things and take on His way. His ways are higher then our ways, so let's trust Him to lead and direct us!
