Heart Check
"People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7
If we could see things from God’s perspective, what would we see? I am certain our view of others would change. Our view of politics, wealth, church, culture, and entertainment would all change. Wouldn’t it be helpful to truly see ourselves from His perspective? We may fear judgment based on guilt and shame. We may fear God’s disappointment or disapproval. But fears are not necessarily a reflection of what is real or true. Getting a detailed report from God could bring a lot of assurance or help us make necessary adjustments.
I had a strange incident one week ago today. I went for a run following my early morning small group, leaving the church office and heading down the Interurban Trail. Halfway into my easy four-mile run, I blacked out. Actually, I passed out (syncope) and when I hit the ground I knocked myself out on the pavement. Judging by my running watch, I was on the ground for at least an hour. When I “came to” I was very disoriented but figured out which way to go to get back to the church office.
From there, I was taken to Urgent Care and they transferred me to the Emergency Room. Everyone was concerned that it was a cardiac incident, so they started doing MANY tests on my heart (after ruling out a stroke). I was kept in the hospital for two nights and on Saturday they put a camera into my heart to have a look around. At this point, I feared the worst. What would they find? A blockage? Heart disease? Would they put in a stent or a balloon? How radically would my life and lifestyle have to be altered?
The procedure was quickly over and the doctor was pleased to tell me that my heart was 100% healthy. There was no blockage, no build-up, and no problems. All those tests and all that concern was over NOTHING. It was the best news possible. The lesson learned: Don’t pass out!
It also was good to know definitively that I have a healthy heart. My dad passed away less than a year ago and he had acute heart failure. Not all things are hereditary.
The Lord sees our heart, He tests our heart, and He cleanses our heart, and He can even create in us a new heart. I am not talking about the organ that pumps blood around your body. I am talking about the core of who you are as a person. Dallas Willard defines the heart in this way:
Will (Heart or Spirit) is the executive center of the self and our likeness to God, being “in his image.” Will refers to that component’s power to initiate and create. Heart is not feelings, but refers to its being the center or core of the human being and the part to which every other component of the self owes its proper functioning.
The Good News is that the Lord offers us the righteousness of Jesus in place of our sinful heart. When God sees us, He sees the finished work of Jesus. He looks upon us with love, and that perfect love drives out the fear that causes us to otherwise hide in shame.
A heart-check can be a painful process, but when we let God into the deepest and darkest places of our being, we are free to live in His presence with confidence and full assurance.
1 John 3:19-21 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.
Be encouraged today that your fears are not a reflection of truth or reality. They are merely a reflection of one’s perception of reality. Let God speak truth and love over your life. Let Him renew your heart today.