The Godly Gazette (The Heart of the Problem)

The Heart of the Problem

Matthew 15:18-19 - But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things make a man unclean. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

We work hard to keep our outward appearance attractive, but what's in our heart is even more important. When we become Christians, God makes us different on the inside, and He will continue to change us if we ask, and seek Him first.

We must remember that the order of our love needs to be, God first, others second, and ourselves last. This is God's way of living. When our love becomes out of order, we fall into man's way of living, exposing ourselves to the unclean desires of our sinful nature.

Matthew 12:34-35 - For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

Jesus is reminding us here that what we say reveals what is in our hearts. You must have a change in heart in order to solve your heart issues. You must let the Holy Spirit fill you with new attitudes and motives. As your heart changes, so will the words that come out of your mouth.

The Bible teaches that our problems can be broken down into three levels. The condition of our heart - (1. heart problems) - which leads to what we think, say, and do - (2. doing problems), which in turn leads to how we feel (3. emotional problems).

With these three levels in mind, think how often we complain and say that how we feel is our greatest problem. In reality, and according to God's Word, how we feel is directly linked to the root problem - the condition of our heart.

There are two ways to solve our problems - man's way or God's way. Some of "man's ways" to solve problems might be to take drugs, alcohol, pills, or even sexual immorality.

God's way is to "Change the Heart" first - and then begin to do the right things. God's desire is to give us a good heart that leads to good thoughts, words, and actions, which in turn leads to joy and peace in the Christian life.

Fixing Problems God's Way

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