A SOFT HEART: RESPONDING BEFORE YOU BECOME CALLOUS
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.
Ephesians 4:18-19 (NIV)
I got into my daughter's vehicle to move it so I could get out of the driveway. Immediately, I noticed blue painter's tape covering part of the dashboard. Curious, I peeled it back and found the check engine light glaring at me. When I asked her about it, she simply said she didn't want to see the light.
But the light wasn't the problem. It pointed to something underneath the hood that needed attention. Covering the warning did nothing to fix the issue. We can respond to God's correction the same way. Scripture confronts our behavior. A trusted friend raises a concern. We recognize that we need to confess or apologize. Instead of responding, we reach for our own version of painter's tape. It's not that serious. Everybody does it. You don't understand what I've been through.
Paul identifies the deeper problem as hardness of heart. In Ephesians 4:18-19, hardened hearts are connected to darkened understanding, separation from God's life and a loss of sensitivity to sin. What once troubled us becomes easier to excuse and practice. That loss of sensitivity should concern us. When sin no longer bothers us, it doesn't mean the problem has disappeared. We may have simply grown accustomed to ignoring it. Thankfully, God has not left us without hope. Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us that, because of His great love and mercy, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our sins. His grace invites us to confess honestly and receive His forgiveness.
What sin have you started defending, minimizing or no longer noticing? A soft heart is willing to receive God's correction and respond with repentance. Today, peel back the tape and address what needs attention.
APPLICATION: Ask God to reveal one area where you have been ignoring His correction. Confess it without excuses and invite a trusted believer to help you take a concrete step toward change.
PRAYER: Father, forgive me for ignoring Your correction and defending my sin. Give me a tender heart that responds to Your Word and the courage to repent. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?