To Change A Heart

A Sunday School teacher once taught a class on The Center of Man. In his teachings he tried to convince us that the center of a man is not his heart….but his brain. He told us that when the Bible mentions the word “heart” it means “brain.”  I didn’t buy it, and wanted to ask him where he ever heard such nonsense. He was saying that if we hide the words of the Bible in our hearts, we are actually storing them in our brain. It’s true that memory is a function of the brain…. but my brain has stored a lot of knowledge and words that have not made their way into my heart.
This teacher had just recently discovered computers and the wonder of what this technological little machine was capable of had temporarily, I thought, messed up his thinking…. or the devil was deceiving him. All I know is, when I hurt down to my soul, I do not get a headache. I feel it in the center of my being….my heart. Also, when the Lord fills me with the wonder of his love and the joy of salvation, I feel it in my heart. Our brain remembers countless things, but the things we hide in our heart comes out of our mouth….and it is not always good stuff. What is in our heart determines who we are so it is important to watch what we allow to dwell there.
Many times the Bible talks about the heart and the thoughts of the heart. You’ve probably heard it said, “My mind tells me yes, but my heart tells me no.” The heart and the brain often don’t agree. Proverbs 23:7 says: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Hebrews 4:12 tells us: ” the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Jesus is the Word of God, and He cannot be deceived. He knows the thoughts and intents of our heart.
Some of us go to great lengths to hide the things we feel most deeply about. Sharing our heart feelings with someone takes trust. We want to know that the person we’re sharing with will try to understand and not simply tell us our feelings are wrong….though sometimes they are misguided. Just as we sometimes change our mind, we also can experience a change of heart.
A person’s words and actions give others an idea what kind of heart they have. Abuse and hurtful actions from those around us often cause bitter feelings and, not wanting others to know about these hurts, we hide the bitterness in our heart….and it often comes out when we are reminded or get upset. Sometimes the hurt is so extreme, every word we say is tainted by it. People tend to avoid the ones who have these problems rather than trying to help. To seek help is often not easy.
counselors and psychologists spend a lot of time…and charge a lot of money…. trying to help people deal with their problems and overcome built up hostilities. A wise counselor will lead the way to salvation through a relationship with Jesus. Only with a change of heart brought on by the love and acceptance of Christ can we become a new person. When our heart is right, and filled with the Holy Spirit, our mind will change too and we become a new creature.
Today there are so many hurting people. The wars and other horrors witnessed everyday have left many searching for meaning in a seemingly heartless world. Why, they ask, if God loves us, has he allowed these things to happen? When one’s belief system is broken down, they are left with no place to turn . It is our responsibility to reach out to these people and help restore their faith and give them a life-line to hold onto.
Salvation is something each one of us must seek and find on our own. It is a personal decision between you and God. Going to church, reading our Bible, trying to live a good life is not enough to get us into Heaven. God loves his people one-on-one and every one of us must decide to believe….in our heart…. that Jesus truly is the Son of God and know that He died for our sins. By believing, then asking Him to forgive…. and turning away from our sin, we too can receive a change of heart….and a new life!