I have a heart condition—and so do you. I’m not talking about my physical heart. I’m talking about my soul, which is my mind, will and emotions. This is the heart of our inner life.
Our inner life is more important than anything else because it is based on our thoughts and attitudes, which determine how we live. Real life is the life that’s in you, and not your circumstances—like where you live, what job you have, or who you’re in relationship with.
Real peace and joy come from God’s Spirit in us, not things or people around us. And when your heart is right with God, it’s amazing how peaceful, content, and even happy you can be in the midst of difficult situations and turmoil.
Matthew 5:8 says the pure in heart will see God. And Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to “keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life” (AMPC).
The scripture in Proverbs makes it clear that it’s our responsibility to guard our heart. And we need to do it often, because each day there are countless opportunities for something to creep into our heart that is not pure or pleasing to God.
Checking your motives is a good way to determine what condition your heart is in. Motives reveal why we do what we do, which is actually more important to God than what we’re doing. If we’re really honest with ourselves, most of us will admit that we want to impress people, and this is what’s causing us to do what we do.
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But I’ve learned a powerful secret: When we no longer have to impress people and are instead living to please God, we will have real freedom to enjoy life and be who God created us to be.
Think about it. If your schedule is hectic, is it because God is overloading you with responsibility or because you’re striving to do what you feel other people want you to do? Have you ever said, “Well, so-and-so expects me to do this, so that’s why I’m doing it.” Or maybe you were afraid someone would be mad or disappointed with you if you didn’t do what they asked. I’ve done it. And it just made me miserable and even resentful at times.
I also used to do things because I was nosy and just wanted to know what was going on—even at church! I wanted to be involved in some groups because of it. And at one time I even pushed my husband, Dave, to be an elder in the church so he could go to meetings and then tell me what was going on.
As I grew in my relationship with God, He showed me what it means to have a heart like Him. He is a God of grace, mercy, truth, compassion and generosity. Whatever He tells us to do, it’s because it’s for our good, not His benefit. He gave His best for us when He gave Jesus, His only Son, to die on our behalf so we could be forgiven of our sins through His shed blood.
No matter what condition your heart is in, if you’ll trust God, He can heal you and make your heart like His.
If you aren’t in the habit of checking your heart and really guarding it, I want to encourage you to spend a few hours alone one day and think about what you do and why. If you’ll be honest with yourself, God can help you see the truth about your condition. And the truth will always make you free!
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Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 140 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Overcoming Every Problem (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
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