Do human beings have a similar “computer chip” that shapes our thoughts and our attitudes, our inner motives and our intentions, and our words and our actions? According to Scripture the answer is YES! Much like Baymax’s computer chip that dictate his words and actions, God created human beings with a HEART, a hidden spiritual place where our THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, ATTITUDES, INTENTIONS, MOTIVES, WORDS, and ACTIONS originate. According to Scripture our heart is the internal command center of our entire existence. The spiritual code programmed into our hearts is what ultimately makes us who we are. But unlike a computer chip, our hearts can be miraculously reprogrammed and changed!
If this is true (and it is), then our HEART MATTERS immensely! What is in our heart is infinitely eternally important. Therefore, we should care deeply about what is in our heart and what we allow or don’t allow to enter into our heart. Knowing what is in our heart, what should be in our heart, and how it can be changed are foundational issues to who each and every one of us as individuals created by God. Why is the heart important? Why does the heart matter?
Our heart REFLECTS PERFECTLY who we are (Proverbs 27:19) – A mirror does not lie. This morning we all looked into a mirror for a reason. We wanted to discover what damage our pillow had done to our face and hair so we could repair it before we were seen by others! When we look in the mirror it reflects back our physical appearance to us exactly as it is. Just like a mirror reflects back an exact representation of what we look like, the human heart “reflects” back an exact representation of the true us! It is in our hearts where our true thoughts, feelings, attitudes, intentions, and motives lie. There is no more accurate reflection of who we are than what is contained within our hearts. It is within our heart self that we find our real self! Although it is possible to reveal to others what is in our heart, we often keep much of what is in our hearts hidden from others.
Our heart is the DEEP part of us where our TRUE SELF is located (Proverbs 20:5) – We can only see so far down into deep water. If we looked into the ocean, we may be able to see what’s just below the surface of the water, but at some point, our ability to see is clouded and what is beneath the surface is hidden. Our heart is the spiritual deep hidden place of our lives. The “purposes” (thoughts, feelings, attitudes, intentions, motivations) of our lives are hidden deep down inside of our hearts, out of the sight of others. When others look at our outward behavior, they are only seeing the surface of who we are. The vast majority of who we are lies far below the surface of what others can see or observe. In 1 Peter 3:4 says, “let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart”. We are not to be as concerned about what others see on the outside, but the deepest hidden places of our heart. If our heart is right, then our outward actions will be right, but if our heart is bad, our outward actions will be bad.
CONCLUSION
Make no mistake about it, our hearts matter! In fact, our heart is the most important part of who we are. God created us with a heart to be the very source of everything that makes us who we are. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy”. What is the attitude of your heart toward Jesus Christ? God’s Word says that we are to honor Christ as holy! Too often, we are more concerned about changing our outward behavior, when in reality, the thing that matters most is the attitude of our heart toward Christ. Since the substance of who we are is reflected in our hearts, what we do with Christ in our hearts is what truly matters.
