Restoring and Rebuilding – Week Five

How’s your heart today?

The Bible teaches us to guard our heart above all things because life flows through it. Our heart can quickly turn or slowly drift. If we don’t pay attention, we may find ourselves in a place we never thought we could be or ever wanted to be.

Even the most faithful among us, have a tendency to turn from God. That’s what happened to the great King Hezekiah. The man who rebuilt a nation, overcame invading armies, and prayed with power allowed pride to overtake his heart.

As he grew older, Hezekiah faced mortal sickness. In faith, he prayed to God for deliverance, and mercifully, God extended Hezekiah’s life. But instead of praising God, we read, “Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 32:23 NASB)

Pride is subtle. And dangerous. It has the power to turn us from God.

In my book Finding Simplicity, I share:

There is a trap I fall into frequently. I trick myself into thinking I am following God, when, in reality, I am more concerned about my desires and my way. I go through the motions, doing all the right things, but, ultimately, my heart is in the wrong place. Whether purposefully or unintentionally, I put my plans first, then try to fit God into them.

Many times, we think of God as a part of our life, instead of essential to it. We make Him a category on our agendas, squeezing Him into our priorities, right alongside family, career, hobbies, finances, or friendships. The problem with this thinking is that we are attempting to lower God to the level of our control instead of remembering that He is above everything else.

When I get this order wrong, I will struggle to hear God and experience a lack of vision, depressing thoughts, and the desire to quit. I often find myself demeaning and judging others, speaking unkindly, and pushing my agenda, as my life all too quickly overflows with chaos.

James speaks directly to this disorder. Listen to his words: “‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit, therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6-7) There are two ways we can order our lives, and only one is correct. Either God is first, or we are. When God takes precedence, our lives exhibit humility, but if we mistakenly place ourselves first, our lives display pride.

The good news is, pride is not insurmountable. As Hezekiah’s story continues, we see that when circumstances revealed his pride, he repented and humbled himself. But Hezekiah had to guard continually against pride. Even after he chose to embrace humility, in his last days, God sent an envoy from Babylon to visit Hezekiah “to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” (2 Chronicles 32:31) Instead of pointing to God, King Hezekiah proudly displayed his riches and success, revealing an unhealthy heart.

Like Hezekiah, the journey of rebuilding and restoring our relationship with God is a lifelong journey. Day by day and season by season, we must choose to place God first.

When your heart is out of order, and you find yourself in a place of pride, choose the way of humility. I have heard many teachers explain humility this way – it is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. A humble person prioritizes God and people, not their own agenda or biases.

I wonder what situation is in your life today that God is using to test your heart? And what your thoughts, actions, and reactions are revealing?