Trusting Your Heart?

Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:1-4

Not long ago, I was talking to a good friend whom I had not seen for some time.  She is a strong Christian, so when she began sharing concerns as to whether she was really saved and would be in heaven with Jesus one day, I was shocked.

“But what about what John said in his first letter?” I asked. I read to her from my Bible, “Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart (I John 5:10),” and continued with, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (vs 13).”

“Yes, but how can I trust my heart,” she asked sincerely, “when God tells us the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick?” (see Jeremiah 17:9). “Maybe I’m just deceiving myself that I’m a Christian.”

My friend is right, our hearts are deceitful and sick.  But, as believers, God has also given us a new heart – a regenerated one, one we can trust as we apply God’s word in our hearts.

Later, after our conversation, I began thinking of verses about the heart that can help us grow our regenerated hearts:

            Create in me a clean heart, O God (Psalm 51:10) – we first need a repentant heart

Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5) – we need a trusting heart

Guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23) – we need a protected heart

Love the Lord your God with all your heart (Matthew 22:37) – we need a loving heart

As we see our hearts changing toward God in many areas of our lives, we can begin to trust what our hearts tell us about God and about ourselves.  Yes, we will always need to keep our hearts protected from lies and check our motives, but we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.  

I was glad to be able to share these verses and thoughts with my friend over time.  I was concerned over her angst regarding her salvation.  Paul tells us to “have no anxiety about anything (Phil 4:6a), and I’m guessing that God would be especially grieved over us if we were anxious about whether we are really saved.

I was excited when I read the scripture verses for today and noted the heart was mentioned, not once, but twice.  More ways my heart can be engaged with the Lord and grow the new heart!  “…but keep my commands in your heart (vs 1)” and, from vs 3, “…write [love and faithfulness] on the tablet of your heart.” 

I think I’ll go call my friend and explore these verses as to how they might help us trust our new hearts more!  Care to join us?

Prayer:  Lord, help us know in our hearts that if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved.  Keep us growing our new hearts.

Philippians 3:1-21

Did you give up much when you decided to follow Christ?  Did any of those things seem like a hardship to let go off?  Paul is sharing how for him his entire life changed.  His attitude took a complete about face and with the changed and transformed heart he walked a bold and different path.  For Paul it happened quickly; probably because God had such a pressing job in store for him, one that was time-sensitive.

Paul was raised and educated with the Scriptures foremost in his teaching, but he never really got it.  He never wrapped his mind around what the Word of God was really saying to him.  That is until God got his attention in a very big way.  Has God gotten your attention in a big way?  Is your story similar at all to Paul's conversion story?  Paul is a marvelous example to those of us who might not embrace the Good News because we think we could never be forgiven, that we have been to bad to ever be able to be counted as a follower.

Then too, some of us might not want to give up our lifestyle, fearing we will never have any fun again.  After all, Christians don't have good time, do they?  Christians don't enjoy life, do they?  You are probably grinning right now, right?  It isn't easy following Christ, but it is rewarding.  For Believers, fun takes on an entirely different meaning.  Laughter comes easier, joy fills the heart and the eyes brim with real happiness.  God will work quickly in us too, for it is still extremely time sensitive.

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8)

Read Philippians 3:1-21 here

Listen to Philippians 3:1-21 here