How is your heart doing? I’m not asking about who you are in Christ and what you have in the Spirit. How are your emotions doing? Your feelings are largely the result of your thinking, and so let me ask: how is your thinking? What are you focused on? Most of us tend to be very lenient with ourselves when we evaluate things like this. If you want to know the real answer to “how is my heart doing?” then you should probably look at the fruit you’re experiencing in your life. Are you mostly full of joy and peace? Or are you mostly worried, anxious, fearful or angry?
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45 ESV
What’s in your heart comes out of your mouth. You may be able to keep a reign on it most of the time, but when you’re tired or in moments of (especially sudden) pressure, what is inside will get squeezed out. You may not even realize what’s really going on inside your heart because you are so disconnected from it. I’ve been there! You say that you believe “x, y and z” but you don’t realize that deep in your heart, you don’t. For example, it’s good to consciously declare healing scriptures or God’s favour over yourself (and you should). But what are you thinking about when you’re not purposefully thinking? Are you drifting towards, “This won’t really work” or “I wonder if this is going to work”? Then it doesn’t matter how much you say it consciously, in your heart (sub-consciously) you do not believe it. If your heart doesn’t believe it, you will not see it.
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Mark 11:23 KJV
Your heart and words need to be in alignment for you to see what you’re trusting for. The real answer to this question, “How is your heart?” could be the reason that you aren’t experiencing healing or whatever you’re trusting for. This could be the reason that things aren’t really working out for you. You could be saying and doing all the right things but if you don’t believe it in your heart you won’t see it because you don’t truly believe it. So, what thoughts are sub-consciously dominating your heart? They reveal what you really believe.
The good news is that you are the gatekeeper of your heart; you control what you allow into your heart and what you keep out of it. By being vigilant in keeping guard over your thought-life, you are able to change your heart.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
Romans 12:2 KJV
Transformation is the result of mind renewal (changing your way of thinking). If you want to change your heart, change your thinking and focus. It will transform your life! What should you focus on? Focus on Jesus and what He has done for you. Focus on the promises of God and His love for you. As you do this, faith will rise up in your heart. You do not need to try and manufacture faith. Simply focus on Jesus. Choose to focus on Jesus more than on the world. As you start thinking more like God and less like the world, your heart beliefs will change, too. Protect your heart from the wrong influences, and open it up to the right One.