How's Your Heart?
“Almost 700,000 people die
of heart disease in the U.S. each year. That is about 29% of all U.S. deaths.”
(Center for Disease Control Website) Admittedly we as Americans have a terrible
problem on our hands regarding our health, more specifically our heart health.
As a Christian, how is your heart? Briefly consider the very
center of your Christian life - your spiritual heart. For example, our hearts
can be “pure”; it has treasures; its “abundance” controls our speech, and
unfortunately, our heart can be “far from” God (Matthew 5:8; 6:21; 12:34;
15:18-19). Therefore, we can quickly prove it is indeed appropriate for us to
ask one another “How’s your heart?”
First, “Blessed are the pure in
heart” (Matthew 5:8). The term heart in scripture is used to
represent a host of various ideas, such as the mind, conscience, understanding,
will, intentions, affections, and even the middle or inner part of man (Lexicon
to the Old and New Testaments, edited by Spiros Zodhiates). Scripture tells us
we can have a “pure” heart. As Christians we should have pureness of heart as
one of our foremost goals.
Second, “For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also”. Treasures can be laid up in two
different places; first here on earth and second, in Heaven. Wherever we choose
to lay our treasure is where our heart will be - think about that. If we want to
go to Heaven, we will need to seek it with all our heart. However, if we are not
laying up treasures in Heaven, then it will be hard for us to get our heart
focused on going to Heaven.
Third, “out of the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34). Think of a bowl being
filled with liquid. When it gets full the liquid continues to be poured and
begins to spill out onto the counter. The Bible says,
"out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Thus, what
comes out of our mouth is overflowing from our heart. Oftentimes someone will
make the statement “I did not mean to say that”. It would be more accurate for
them to say “I did not mean for you to know the
thoughts of my heart”. Scripture tells us clearly and plainly where
our words come from, out of the heart.
Fourth, “A good man out of the good
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things:” (Matthew 12:35).
This passage goes on to make the point plain that the reverse is true; that evil
things from an evil man comes from the evil treasure of his heart. The point is
clear. If we want to be marked a “good man”, we need to have a good treasure in
our heart.
Fifth, “their heart is far from me.”
(Matthew 15:8). Imagine folks singing songs of praise to God with all the air
their lungs can possibly provide to their vocal chords yet they have never set
their hearts on God, godliness, or Heaven. This is so sad for many reasons, but
consider two: first, they are not even happy in this life, and second, they are
only fooling themselves into thinking they will go to heaven because their heart
is not set to go there. Christ said their heart is “far
from me”.
Finally, “for out of the heart
proceeds...” (Matthew 15:19). The heart is the source point of seven
life-blackening actions. They are (1) evil thoughts, (2) murders, (3)
adulteries, (4) fornications, (5) thefts, (6) false witness (which is lying),
and (7) blasphemies. Friend, when your heart is not right, your life will be
blackened by these terrible sins that come forth from the heart; therefore, to
clean up your life you must clean up your heart.
How is your heart?
By: Keith McNeely