For Thought and Meditation - Friday, October 15

Good morning all. Today's message is a great reminder (and personal admonition). I need to work on this. Have a safe and blessed day.

Friday, October 15, 2021 - Pastor Greg Laurie
Keep A Tender Heart

“Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God”
—Hebrews 3:12

I have two sons, Christopher and Jonathan. Christopher is with the Lord, and Jonathan is a pastor. Both of them were prodigals earlier in life, but I had a lot of patience with them because I knew that Cathe and I had laid the foundation. I believed they would make that deeper commitment to Christ, which they both did in time.

When you’re so familiar with the truths of God’s Word, you can become hardened by the very truths that should have softened you.

As I’ve often said, the same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay. The same message that impacts someone else actually can cause you to have a harder heart. The very truth that should have softened your heart can cause it to become hardened.

Jesus’s own disciples allowed their hearts to harden. Before He performed the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fish, He said to them, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?” (Mark 8:17 NLT).

So how do you know if you have a hardened heart? One indication is that you just stop caring. You don’t care about your spiritual growth, about other Christians, or about lost people.

You also don’t want to worship. When you come into church and others are engaging in worship, you stand back and fold your arms. You think, “That’s too emotional for me.”

Another indication of a hardened heart is that you’re always critical. You always see the bad and never see the good.

The Bible warns, “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12 NLT).

You make your choices, and then your choices make you. So keep a tender heart.

When my focus is on me - my desires or my agonies - my heart is hard and I have no room for Christ. One of the effects of most psychiatric disorders is the intense misery they inflict. This focuses all of my attention on how miserable I am, and there is no room for Christ for most with those disorders. Unbelief and evil come in many camo designs, misery being only one of them. The intense self orientation which essentially says "I believe only in me" is another. These are the extreme - most of us don't experience them, or not for long.

It is the ongoing and less aware issues that trip us up. I get so involved in my work, in my ministry, in my family, in my house and what it needs, etc. that I lose sight of God in my life and rely only on me. As a result I get exhausted, bitter, and hard to live with! I would guess we have all been there, and some may be there now.

Amen, A hardened heart has serious effects upon our spiritual walk!

This is my first time replying here.
I know i have a hardened heart on one subject. I have asked the Lord on multiple times to help me let my anger go. But i have been so hurt by one individual that i have a hard time. Not having a grudge.
I have forgiven the individual. But that does not take away my hurt. And i know it is controlling my state of mind. I am short with others that have nothing to do with the individual. Kevin

There's a sermon series (5 sermons iirc) I'd highly recommend to you that walks through what the bible has to say with regard to forgiveness. I'll get it uploaded somewhere and PM a download link to you.