As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person.     Proverbs 27:19 CSB

The Bible has a lot to say about the heart. As I was reading Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1 Corinthians in his book, Be Wise, I came across something he said that stuck. He said, “The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart.” He prefaced this by saying, “We are prone to think that a change in circumstances is always the answer to a problem. But the problem is usually within us and not around us.”

 

This statement hit me because there came a time in my life that I realized, I was the problem. I had spent many years thinking that if this person would change and this circumstance would change things would be so much better. I thought getting more education and a higher paying job would make things better.

But once I rededicated myself to the Lord, He showed me the sad reality. It wasn’t the things around me that was causing my grief. It was the sin within me that was causing me so much trouble. It was me. I was the problem. My heart was the problem.

The Bible has a lot to say about the heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says we should never follow our heart because it is deceitful and desperately sick and who can understand it? So, I encourage you to never follow your heart. Pray about all things and ask God to give you wisdom and discernment. Instead, follow Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge God in all you do, and He will make your paths straight.”

We also need to understand that God looks at our heart. God can see through who we pretend to be.

I’ve often heard someone described as wearing their heart out on their sleeve. This means they don’t hide their true feelings. You always know what they are feeling because are quick to express it and let others know. We need to understand, however, that even if we don’t wear our heart out on our sleeves, it doesn’t take long for someone else to figure us out. This is because of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 when He said, “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We can try to hide who we really are, but eventually it comes out in the way we speak and the way we treat others.

When we see a red valentine heart, we think of love. In the Bible we are commanded above all to love. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments by telling us to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. He then said we were to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

If you find you are having a lot of problems, check your heart. There is a good chance it is at the root of your trouble. In Psalm 51:10, David said, “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.” If you need God to clean your heart, He will be happy to help with that.

If your heart is right with God, you must guard it. We are told in Psalms 4:23 to keep our heart with all vigilance for the springs of life flow from it.

When you face a problem, go to the heart of the problem. Is the heart of the problem your heart? Has your heart fallen away from the Lord? Have you not been loving God and others as you should?

If you are having problems, look within before you look around. Get to the heart of the problem understanding that your heart may be the problem.

Have a great day!