If you had passed by my house in the last month you would more than likely think it is all intact. For the most part it is well put together and there is no visible damage or problems.
BUT let me tell you, if you had walked inside my house, you would see something completely different! We had to pull up all of our flooring and replace our subfloors due to moisture damage. It was a disaster, total chaos to say the least. This made me think about how people can walk around looking all perfect and put together on the outside, but what is on the inside can be a totally different story.
After a bit of tearing out flooring/subfloors we did have to throw it all outside, it had nowhere to go but out. Now, if you passed by, you could see there was something wrong. It is now visible on the outside. Just like what is in the heart of a person will come out in what they say and eventually it will also show in their actions.
“Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come- sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice,deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7:18-23
As christians we have to be very careful with what we allow in our hearts.
“Above all else. Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
We can sometimes put more effort into our outward appearances that we forget to pay attention to what is deep down in our hearts. While we may look good on the outside, God is more concerned with what is in our hearts. When we are born again God changes our hearts and we have the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us, but we still have to fight our fleshly desires. So even as a born again christian we are capable of all the things listed in Mark 7.
We have so many emotions and if we allow them to control us we can end up spewing things out of our mouths that are unholy. We have to stay in the word and go to God when we feel out of control due to hurt, offense, anger etc. When we focus on the things the Lord desires for us we will have peace of mind and He will quickly remind us and point out any wrong we may have in our hearts.
Stay in the word, pray and ask God to search your heart and give you peace.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139: 23-24
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