Our deep desire is to be loved unconditionally, to be seen to be known for who we really are, to be valued, esteemed, desired, pursued, fought for, to be precious to someone, to be their beloved. The object of their affection. Our hearts are designed for this by God.
Wait, really? Are you sure? Because I had been believing that my heart was deceitfully wicked, that it was corrupted. Everything that I had learned as a new Christian was completely challenged by this. After all, would Jesus through the Holy Spirit, dwell in anything that is wicked, corrupt, deceitful or heinous? Never! Never.
So if he dwells in us, what does that tell us about our hearts and what we’ve learned about our hearts? I mean, the Bible does not say in Matthew 22:37, “Love the Lord, your God with all of your evil heart.” Right? Or Psalm 13:5, “I trust in your unfailing love, my wicked heart rejoices in your salvation.” And 1 Peter 1:22, it does not say, “Now that you’ve purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so you have sincere love for each other, love each other deeply from your corrupted heart.”
No friends, you have a new heart. Because God gave you a new heart.
Listen to Ezekiel 36:26-28, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
Why? Because your heart is central. Your heart matters. And I love that Robin shared the scripture, Proverbs 4:23, because that tells us how our heart matters above all else. Guard your heart, for from it everything flows. Everything. I’d say that makes your heart pretty important.
