How To Face Life Challenges 3 Series

Pure in heart is a high standard yet it is the standard God is calling us to. The heart is where all kind of things originate, both good and bad. No matter how quickly we tell a lie, it was in the heart before it reached the lips. If we praise God joyfully on Sunday, it was in the heart Saturday night. No matter what wrongdoing we fell into doing, it was done in our hearts, before it actually took place. We chose to do the right thing in that circumstance, because it was in our heart before the situation arose. If we want to know what our future is going to be like, le us examine the things in our hearts and consider which ones get the most attention. That’s what’s waiting to become reality.

The heart is at the center of the kind of life we experience. We like to think when our kids or adults misbehave, if we just get them to a therapist or a counselor their behavior will change. No my friends, what they, and we need is Jesus. When we truly accept Christ, there is a change in our hearts. When the change takes place in the heart, the change in the behavior follows.

Sometimes we do not experience new life because we compromise with doing wrong and try to pretend it does not matter. God is not so desperate of a lover that He will put up with anything simply to have us follow him a little. How many of us would be content with a boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse who promised to love us dearly, but for four days out of the week, they want the right to live as though we did not exist? Why would God be willing to make such a bargain with us. When the bible tells us here is what we are to do, if we are not doing it, then why do we expect God’s blessings or favor. Of if the bible says, not to do something and we are doing it, why do we expect God’s blessings or favor.

New Life for a relationship that’s gone bad always is rooted in repentance. It does not work to simply say let’s start over again, without first admitting your part in the wrong which led to the breakdown in the relationship. In our Old Testament reading, David said "When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away." Do you remember when as a kid you knew you had done wrong, and you knew your parents knew you had done wrong, but you didn’t want to bring up the subject, so you tried to be nice, and talk but it was very awkward. Deep down inside you wished they would just hurry up and give you your punishment." Like David, you were wasting away inside because of your sin.

But David says, "but Lord I confess what I had done and you forgave the guilt of my sin." Confession to God brings cleansing and purity. It’s bad when we have treated someone wrong and will not admit it. There is nothing Christian about sweeping things under the rug without dealing with the pain our actions caused. To be single minded for Christ, means we are going to deal with others as Christ would have us do it. So many relationship are stuck trying to hide things and going on as though they didn’t happen. It’s not more prayer that’s needed. It’s time for us to remove the pride in our hearts so that we can truly be pure in heart.