Check the Heart
Read the Text: Matthew 6
Memorize the Text: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
Consider the Text: Matthew 6:25-34
As Jesus declared the Sermon on the Mount, the listeners received a constant challenge to check the condition of their hearts. The words of Jesus pierced through the ideology of the flesh and pointed the hearers to a new way of leaving that aligned with the ways of God’s kingdom. The same event occurs today when we engage the truth in God’s Word and experience the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The challenge may come through the engagement with the bible in quiet time, a Christian podcast, or a sermon preached in the local church. Though not limited to these events, such moments provide an opportunity for God to pierce our hearts and cause us to check the condition of the heart.
In Matthew 6, we hear the words of Jesus speak on the topics of giving and prayer. Within these two topics, Jesus exposed several criteria for personal evaluation. First, Jesus challenges us to identify what we seek to GLORIFY. The concept of glory rests on what we admire, adore, and praise the most. In the Old Testament, the word for weight and measure also meant glory. Thus, when we glorify something or someone, we reveal what has value in our lives.
Jesus discussed the importance of battling against the temptation to glorify the self through the activities of giving and prayer. In both scenarios, He warned us to make sure that such spiritual activity does not exist to make people glorify our spiritual nature, but instead should be set to be glory to the Lord. Underlying each of these spiritual moments rests the importance of obedience based on the weight, measure, or amount of the Lord in us and our deep-seated desire to glorify Him as a result. Thus, we must check the heart to find if we seek to Glorify the Self or Glorify God.
Second, Jesus challenges us to recognize the IDENTITY factors in our lives. The identity factors are the elements in life that allow people to develop a perspective into their lives. The temptation exists for the acknowledgment of people over the faithfulness to the Lord. Jesus spoke to the individual who gave for show or prayed for recognition. Both received a rebuke since the focus of their activity rested in the desire for recognition. They set the focus of their actions on the receiving of acclamation, affirmation, and acknowledgment of faithfulness.
Contrary to this, Jesus declared that genuine faithfulness that flowed from a right heart meant giving without fanfare and praying without anyone’s knowledge. The purpose of these activities ought to extend because of who Christ is in life. So likewise, Jesus warns us today to evaluate the identity we seek out of our activities. Do we seek the recognition of humanity or the recognition of God? Do we desire to make sure we are seen, or are we seeking to make sure others see Christ? Thus, we must check our hearts to see if we are pursuing the Recognition of Self or Recognition of God.
Jesus continued to address the need of a spiritual heart check by addressing material possessions and anxiety. He used these topics to address the third component for the spiritual heart check, TRUST. Our heart seeks certainty and security. People often chase after material gain to solidify a future. Many individuals worry about what the future holds because of the unknown. Both these moments exist due to a lack of complete trust in the Lord. Trust is the reality of resting in the Lord.
When we begin to overemphasize the temporary treasure, we live in a belief that we must trust in ourselves to find security. Such an approach separates us from the ability to lean into trusting the Lord. Trusting in the self leads to more significant worry since our ability is limited. Thus, we face the reality that truly following the Lord means trusting everything to Him. Thus, we must check our hearts to see if we are Trusting in Self or Trusting in God.
The Sermon on the Mount is a powerful declaration from Jesus that penetrates to the core of individuals. The message reveals the ways of God’s Kingdom and challenges us to evaluate our life in relationship to God’s desires. In Matthew 6, the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus identified the importance for each of us to perform a spiritual heart check and recognize where we need to seek repentance and return to authentically living for Jesus.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
