Alphabet Soup: X-ray your heart

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. — Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NIV)

Although God’s Holy Spirit has come to live in us, we are still free moral agents with the freedom to choose between good and evil and whether to obey God’s Word. We may even think that we can cover up our hidden motives with carefully planned actions and conversations. God will never force us to do something against our will.

Sometimes, He may allow circumstances in our lives to develop in such a way as to turn our hearts back to Him. Thank God for such circumstantial providence. When we choose to sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Our sin can prevent God from hearing our prayers and block the channel of blessings for our own lives and that of others. It is natural for each person to think that his ways are right, but God sees and weighs our hearts.

What does God say about this?

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Proverbs 21:2 (NIV)

As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

Hebrews 3:15 (NIV)

What does this mean for practical living?

This is a discipline that we need to start and maintain. For some people, it can be done like a daily scan in the morning during a personal quiet time with God. For others, it can be done at the end of the day before they go to sleep. It can also be done as a personal reflection before or after an activity that you are planning to undertake.

Just as an X-ray reveals the internal state of our physical body in different shades of grey, we should be prepared for God to expose the different shades of things in our lives that are not pleasing and not right in His sight. Let us not fool ourselves. Nothing can be hidden from God. Be honest to acknowledge and willing to accept what God will show you as He scans your heart and spirit. Be still and listen to what He is saying, confess your wrongdoings, seek forgiveness and ask for wisdom and courage to put things right.

Reflect and respond to God’s Word

• How often do you X-ray your heart?
• Would you be willing to let God to scan every nook and corner of your heart? Why?
• If we know that all our thoughts, deeds and words will be publicly exposed one day, how will we conduct ourselves from now on?