Wednesday Words of Encouragement: Broken Hearts

<sup>Haughty eyes.  Pointing fingers.  Self-righteousness.

It's so easy to feel this when others sin. We feel morally superior to others.  When we do feel guilt for our own sin, we justify our own unrighteousness by statements such as, "At least I'm not as bad as those people."  "I messed up, but if you hadn't pushed my buttons..."

The reason we do this is because our hearts are broken and damaged with sin.  Our cure is to often slap a band aid on it and ignore the surgery that is needed to extract the sinfulness in our own hearts.

I love the story of Job because it points this out so clearly.  Job is afflicted with major disaster - the destruction of his property, the death of his children, and then physical ailments.  It's interesting that God never gives Job any answers to the evil that befell him. 

Job and his friends never know why such misfortune is on Job's life.  And yet, his friends are very good at speculating that it must be because Job committed some sin.   It's also interesting that they never once look at their own hearts.  They are too busy pointing out all the things Job must have done wrong.

Jeremiah 17:9 ~
“The heart is more deceitful than anything else and mortally sick. Who can fathom it?"

Perhaps one of the reasons God doesn't always give us answers is because he knows our hearts can't handle it.  They are broken and sick.  We feel righteous.  We think we know all the answers.  Yet, our hearts are ill.  We twist and turn things and put a spin on our sin.  The moment we get answers, we try to become like God.  

We know, and so believe, we are powerful.  Powerful enough to give people pat answers to their struggles.  Powerful enough to think we understand why bad things happen.  Knowledgeable enough to play at being God.

I fall into that trap.  I can become self-righteous in a flash.  I know that I have the answers to why someone is in the position they are in.

The only one who can cure my sickness is the Lord.  I need to decrease so He can increase.  I need to get my eyes off others and put it on Jesus.  When I'm busy looking at other people's sin, I can't see my own.

My desire is to be so in tune to the Lord that I don't have time or energy to worry about others' lacking.  When all is said and done, the Lord is going to ask me about my life and the things I did. 

Let's ask the Lord to heal our sick and broken hearts.  Request surgery so that he can cut out all that is evil.  Our hearts can be healed from this, but it requires the desire to change these behaviors.  As we walk in the light, let's ask the Lord to bring to light those things that need to be changed.</sup>