trbccoffeebreak

“This I say therefore and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God,  because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Ephesians 4:17-19 (ESV)

Have to admit nothing is better than a gooey, soft cookie fresh out of the oven.  Totally can feel it melting in my mouth right now.  The perfect combination of butter, brown sugar, chocolate chips, etc. – I think you get the picture. Wonder how many times we’ve baked these delicacies and a few days later reached for just one more only to be greeted with a hard, crusty mess. Yes, it has happened more times than I dare admit. Not a fan of crispy cookies – soft is always best.

Absolutely nothing sweeter to our Jesus than a soft heart.  Why?  Soft is tender. Soft is moldable and willing to be changed.  Soft is teachable and excited to learn.  Soft hearts welcome the truth of God’s word and allows it to be planted deep into our souls.  Soft hearts seek God’s searching so sin can be confessed rather than hidden. Soft is the perfect soil for humility, growth and transformation.

Total opposite happens when our hearts become hard and calloused (Matthew 13:14-15).  Just like a callous develops over time from repetitive pressure on the skin, our hearts harden when the pressures of unconfessed sin form a thick barrier between ourselves and God.  When we rebel against God and follow after our desires, we grieve the Spirit and the heart of God. Repeatedly quenching the Spirit of God within us by resisting God’s transformative work in us, we land in a deep pit of regret and consequences.

What feeds this hardening of our hearts?  Disillusionment when God’s answers to prayer are not aligned with our solutions.  Wounds of the heart entertaining bitterness and unforgiveness.  Allowing isolation to be our companion rather than interacting with a godly community. Resisting the urge to seek God’s wisdom and lean on Him, we land in a web of pride screaming independence. Refusing to receive and refusing to serve others fosters a hardened heart sabotaging compassion and unity within the body of Christ.

Probably none of us would intentionally purpose to cultivate a hard heart, yet we often land in this space.  Best solution is to follow the advice of novice bakers.  When cookies become hard simply add a slice of bread and seal in a tight bag.  The cookies suck up the bread’s moisture making it nice and soft again.  When our minds absorb the daily bread of God’s word our hearts melt into softness. God’s truth stands firm, unmoveable and unchangeable. God’s faithful, just and holy character stirs within us creating a desire for change.  By inviting Him to search and unveil our hearts confession of our sins quickly rises to the surface followed by genuine repentance.

Sweet friends let’s keep our hearts teachable and moldable by our loving God because He’s an adoring fan of soft hearts.

“Father, open our eyes to see what needs to be changed and keep us from quenching the work of Your Spirit within us.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life