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The Heart

             The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:5-7)

We tend to think very highly of hearts, especially our own. That supposed core of our being. For that matter, we tend to think highly of most of our bodies. When our hearts tell us something is right, we tend to go along with it even if our heads tell us it’s wrong. How could it be wrong when it feels so right? (Forget the fact that he’s married.) But I’m hungry! (Forget the fact that I ate an hour ago.) I’ve even had people tell me that it didn’t matter what Scripture says, as long as whatever came from their hearts. Perhaps worse yet is the person who says that they know that what they’re doing is (probably) wrong, but they’re going to do it anyway, and God will forgive them. That is a gross and arrogant presumption. God does forgive if we repent – but do we really repent?

The problem with all of that is that our hearts aren’t trustworthy. Our bodies, our feelings, our thoughts, our wills, and our social environments are all tainted by sin, so they can’t be trusted to make the right choice. We are too easily convinced, even against our wills, or so-called better natures. Even if we don’t convince ourselves we are right to do something, we make allowances. We work hard…we deserve… it’s self-care… As C.S. Lewis said, we are too often too satisfied with too little. Sex, food, time to vegetate in front of a TV/computer screen, alcohol or other drugs, a shopping trip, a new toy, an extravagant celebration of whatever.

Why do we not hold out for God as our reward? Why don’t we seek His kingdom? Because our hearts, our bodies, or thoughts, our feelings, and all the rest whisper in our ears that they need something else. Right now. Right here. God? He might be a good reward, but He’s not going to meet the need we feel because He gets in the way of that feeling or of us being god.  

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