The Narrow Way

The Bible warns us repeatedly against the dangers of allowing our hearts to become hard.

A hardened heart is a spiritual condition that develops over time and is caused by a variety of factors, such as sin, pride, unforgiveness, bitterness, and unbelief.

If we allow our hearts to become hard, we are essentially cutting ourselves off from the life-giving power of God’s grace, love, and mercy, and we become spiritually dead, dry, and unresponsive.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:18-19, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.”

Paul’s warning reminds us that the hardening of our hearts is not a small matter. It can lead to a complete separation from the life of God, resulting in spiritual blindness, moral corruption, and insatiable greed.

So, what can we do to prevent our hearts from becoming hard?

Let’s talk about some things we need to do…

We need to guard our hearts against sin. Sin is the root cause of the hardening of our hearts, and it can take many forms, such as lust, envy, anger, and pride.

We need to be vigilant in recognizing and resisting sin in our lives, and we need to seek God’s forgiveness and cleansing when we do sin.

We need a heart of humility and repentance. Humility is the antidote to pride, which is a major cause of heart hardening. We must learn to recognize our own weaknesses and failures, confess our sins to God and to others, and seek a life of repentance and dependence on God’s grace.

We need a caring heart full of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is a major cause of heart hardening, and it often leads to bitterness, resentment, and hatred.

We need to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us, and we need to seek reconciliation and restoration whenever we can.

We also need a heart of faith and obedience. Faith is the key to overcoming the hardness of heart, and it involves trusting in God’s goodness, love, and faithfulness, even when circumstances are difficult. Obedience is the evidence of our faith, and it involves following God’s will and word, even when it goes against our own desires and preferences.

As Christians, we are called to be the salt and light of the world, to be the ambassadors of Christ’s love and truth, and to reflect His character and glory to those around us. But when our hearts become hard, we lose our effectiveness as witnesses and ambassadors of Christ, and we become a stumbling block to others.

Therefore, we must guard our hearts against the hardening process and instead focus on generosity, hospitality, and gentleness.

Let’s ask God to soften our hearts today.