![]() Evil may be defined as anything contrary to God’s law and will. The Bible often refers to the heart for the spiritual condition of the inner person – the place of our affections and passions, wisdom and understanding.Īfter Noah came out of the ark, God looked into man’s heart and found it to be the source of continuous evil thoughts and wickedness (Gen. It is no coincidence that the Bible uses the heart as a symbol of the center of a person’s being. So the heart, apart from being an amazing engine, is really the core organ for life. The left side pumps the oxygenated blood through the arteries and blood vessels where it picks up nutrients and hormones and flows through 100,000 kilometers of capillaries so that every cell in every tissue in our body is nourished. The right side pumps blood through the lungs where it picks up oxygen and dumps carbon dioxide. ![]() Likewise we must ask in order to receive.ĭid you know that the human heart beats on average 100,000 times a day? This relatively small organ, about the size of a clenched fist, in the last minute just pumped 5 to 6 liters of blood and that while you’re resting. The Lord gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart because he asked God (1 Ki. Fortunately we have a heavenly Father who delights to give us wisdom. Often the reason we make a mess of the way we handle difficulties is because we lack wisdom. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. The wisdom we gain through God’s Word shows us that the benefit we receive from a trial largely depends on our attitude towards it and the spirit in which we handle it. This is a joy the Holy Spirit gives (Rom. We don’t obtain joy from the trial itself, we obtain joy from the fruits or lessons that flow from the trial. If we pray for grace, we should be aware that the characteristics of grace – faith, hope, patience and humility – are only given to us through trials that will develop these characteristics. Trials bring forth fruit by making us spiritually mature (we fulfill God’s purposes for our life) and by making us complete (the Holy Spirit works to make us Christlike and to reproduce the Savior’s character in us). 10:13).īut why consider trials as pure joy, as James says? Because they test the genuineness of our faith and they also make our faith grow. The Bible says our trials are never beyond the power of our faith (1 Cor. But to give up just because the pressure is on would be to lose all the good that God has in the trial for us. When trials come we may feel that there is little point in continuing in the right things, because it appears that we are not being rewarded for the good we do. And the battle against sin doesn’t get easier as we get older. When we are old we struggle with many things that we used to be able to do with ease. Parenthood can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it also brings many trials with it. As we grow older, various trials come with increasing responsibilities, such as employment and providing for our family. As they mature, young people are tested in their ability to keep natural desires and appetites under control. Different trials come at different stages of life. They can come from poverty, social injustice or illness. But the Bible tells us otherwise: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom. Our natural tendency is to avoid them at all cost. Trouble, hardship and suffering come to all of us at some time. So the things that we are sure of, that we know and understand, influence our reactions when difficult circumstances arise. The Bible says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (Jas. Our attitudes are determined by our understanding. He wants us to consider the interests of others before our own, just as Christ did for us, because if our attitudes are right then generally our actions will take care of themselves (Phil. The pessimist is always down in the mouth, gloomy, fearful and negative, while the optimist always seems to be on top of things and enjoys life to the full. 15:13,15 NIV).Ī happy heart is reflected in a smiling face, but a broken heart leads to despondency and despair. All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Prov. “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Our attitudes to life influence our whole personality and our life experiences. Our nature and behavior are determined by the inner attitudes we develop. HOW TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A PURE HEART Attitudes Of The HEART
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