All of my life I have grown up hearing this phrase..."actions speak louder than words", and it really is such a powerful little statement. But this morning God was pressing on me that, yes, to us actions do speak louder sometimes, but to Him it's all about the heart.
I was thinking about a person who goes on trial for something and how they can get a harder sentence or a lighter sentence based on what the judge feels is the reason they did what they did. What was the reason behind their actions? And as I thought about that, I thought, what if we did the same thing for acts of kindness or the good deeds that we do. What if we could truly see each others hearts the God does and the reasons behind why we do that things we do? As I was talking to God about our hearts this morning He brought me back to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, which says "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing". I just felt like God was saying, you judge each other based on the actions you see on the outside, but I judge you based on what I see on the inside. It's so true too...When we see someone do something ugly or messed up we just assume they are an ugly or messed up person. But God knows what got that person to where they are. He knows the good and the bad in our hearts. He knows that someone can be doing tons of good on the outside, and still be ugly on the inside. And he also knows the hardest criminals who are sitting in a prison somewhere for a crimes they did, can have a fully broken heart and be ready to surrender it all to Him. That He could do more with that heart than the person out "doing" good deeds.
He loves us with a love that words cannot describe. And because of that, He sees past our outer appearance and our actions (both good and bad) and looks at what drives our hearts. Which is why His ways are higher than our ways and His thought are higher than our thoughts. He truly sees what we cannot and blesses those with a pure heart.
So as you move through this day and the days to come, ask yourself what drives you. It is not an easy question to answer some times. Is it the desire to impress? Is it the desire the be recognized? Is being kind or nice a struggle deep down inside that nobody even really knows about? Or maybe even the opposite is true....maybe because of events that have happened in your life you live very guarded and have a hard time giving anything...your time, your money/gifts or giving of yourself, but deep down inside there is an amazing heart that God sees. If so, if that might be you, let Him be the one that pulls that back up out of you again, or even for the first time. Trust Him and love Him enough to serve Him with all of your heart and allow Him to strip away the pain, hurt, confusion or hardness on your heart so He can get you to do things purely out of your love for Him. Along with that will come a real joy and peace that words can't describe.
Jeremiah 17:10 says "But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve". So as hard as it might be, when you talk to God ask Him to search your heart and show you the things HE desires to see changed in you. His correction and direction will align your hearts with His. Which as a Christ follower should be the ultimate goal.
God, thank You that You see our hearts, and love us anyway! Thank You that of anyone who has the right to judge us, it's You....but you constantly hand down grace and mercy. Your love is like no other and it's my prayer that as we drawer closer to Jesus that love flows through us and out to others. Help us LOVE more and judge less...not just in our actions, but in our hearts! In Jesus name, Amen
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