How Does God Change our Hearts?
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23
The Bible refers to our heart many times because God looks at our hearts The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. (Genesis 6:5) The Lord hears our thoughts because it reveals our spiritual heart. We essentially live out of the desires of our hearts.
How does the Lord change our worldly centered heart to a God centered heart? For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21) What we think about the most and what we desire the most can define our treasure. In this world most people’s hearts desire worldly treasures such as money, possessions, power, popularity, or comfort. The Lord changes our hearts where worldly treasures decrease, and God and others becomes our treasure.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) David prayed for a pure heart in repentance for his sin with Bathsheba. The first step in changing our hearts is to pray for the Lord to change our hearts, showing our desire to change and to become more Christ-like. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8) It is very important we tell the Lord that we want a changed heart because it reveals our Godly desire and our dependence on the Lord.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15) God’s love in our hearts gives us the desire to obey his commands because his commands are our new nature. Love changes the heart and frees us from self and places God and others first. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31) No command is greater than this because love changes the heart and all of the Lord’s commands become our new nature. But whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.)Psalm 1:2) We read and meditate on the Word, because the way to the heart is through the mind.
How do we get our hearts filled with God’s love? We love because he first loved us (1John 4:19) Love starts in the mind when we think deeply about Jesus taking our sins to the cross. This love in our mind starts our ministry. The more we reflect God’s love and compassion, the more love changes our heart. We go out into the world guided by the Spirit and bring Christ to people, reflecting God’s love, compassion, and forgiveness. The more we reflect to the world, the more our heart changes from self-centeredness to God and others centered.
Today reflect God’s love to others by encouragement, thankfulness, or telling them about Christ. Show kindness and patience; reflecting the peace and joy that’s in your heart.
Prayer: Lord, change my heart to the heart of Jesus. Guide me in the Spirit so show your love that’s in my heart. In Jesus name, Amen