Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23
If we are to flourish as human beings, our hearts must be guarded, cared for and tended to. But who has the time? I certainly don’t. Do you? I mean, we have work, studies, families, relationships, and other responsibilities. We entertain ourselves non-stop and are habitually plugged in to a digital universe that subtly reshapes our desires and expectations of reality (most of the time, not in a Godward direction).
And yet, if we don’t take the time to tend to our hearts, life will not go well. And we will miss out on God’s best for us. We will not be healthy and we will not grow. Our souls will shrivel up and our relationships will suffer. Our humanity will be diminished and our passions enslaved.These are the natural consequences of a life in a fallen world if we do not engage our hearts (Gen.3).
What follows is my attempt at reminding myself from God’s Word how to deal with the sin that so easily entangles our hearts. You are welcome to read over my shoulder.
1. Confess your sin
- Agree with God that what you did was actually wrong / sin (Ps. 51)
- Admit you were wrong to the offended person and ask for their forgiveness (Matt. 5:23-24)
- Tell your closest Christian friends that you have sinned in this way (cf. James 5:16)
2. Accept God’s forgiveness
- Receive the forgiveness God has already provided you in Jesus Christ (1 John 1:9)
- Reject the lie that you are not forgiven and the guilt that goes with that (cf. Rom. 8:1)
3. Renew your mind
- Tell yourself the truth about this behavior / attitude / situation (i.e., what the Bible says cf. Rom. 12:1-2; Ps. 119:9-11 & 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you change your thinking regarding this behavior / attitude / situation. (Gal. 5:16-23 cf. Eph. 5:16)
If helpful, remember the acronym C.A.R. for this process. This is not a exhaustive to be sure. But it is a good (and throughly biblical) place to start.
*Learn how to become an everyday ambassador as we live out our faith.