How's your heart?

Men can seem so earnest, so wise, so devoted to service. Yet that could be all – nothing more than apparent godliness. 

Samuel had to learn this lesson as he stood evaluating the impressive firstborn son of Jesse. 

He looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7-8)

The concept of the heart contains more than we can ever fathom. It represents our inner life: a world of words and images, thoughts and emotions, desires and choices, attitudes and beliefs. From a human perspective, the heart of man is hidden and unsearchable, in many ways like the heart of the sea. Yet it is the most important thing about us.

The problem of evil is a problem of the heart (Genesis 6:5). The call to righteousness is a call to the heart: ‘Hear, O Israel … thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart …’ (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Salvation too is a matter of the heart: 'with the heart one believes unto righteousness' (Romans 10:10).

When it comes to godliness, the heart is again at the centre of the Lord's attention. He is not fooled by hypocrites.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)

That should sober us. 

What, then, is the true condition of my hidden life?

Am I hard-hearted, unyielding to the Word’s work in my life? Am I slow-of-heart to believe God's promises? Do I have a foolish heart that listens to the flesh rather than the Spirit of God? Do I have an idolatrous heart that worships Self or some other thing? Has my heart started to turn, like Solomon, whose many wives turned away his heart from following the Lord. Or is my heart wise, good, single-minded, humble, and clean? 

David was a man who wanted his heart to be true before the Lord. I love his honesty. He spread out his entire inner life before his God:

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

The Proverbs warn us to guard our heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). We must keep, at all costs, a true heart for our God. If our heart isn’t right, nothing is. Wise man are like a wise city that takes special care to keep its water source pure. They know that godliness will never flow from a contaminated heart.

As a young man I was often encouraged to take part in the local church – in prayer, preaching and service. That was all good. We learn through doing. I'm glad for the push to get going. But with hindsight, I'm most thankful for those Christians who asked me about my personal devotions, who wanted to know what I was enjoying about the Lord, who asked: ‘how’s your heart, Stephen?’ They knew what mattered most.

It is in the realm of the heart that the real character of our life is formed. It's here where God will find true, wholehearted worship or discover genuine love that makes our acts of service worth anything. 

It's also possible that here in the heart, God will find a wasteland, the hollow inside of a godly-looking mask.