How To Have A Pure Heart With God

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Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with me. Psalm 51:10

My Shattered Heart

 I pull myself out of bed this early winter morning, groping for coffee, and slump into my favorite chair. I need this time with Papa while the house is still quiet.  I tell Him all about the “mean people” in my life. I feel like a child tattle-telling to the teacher.  I pour it out, all of it, as angry tears roll down my cheeks.  It feels good to get it off my chest.  I don’t pretend with God as He and I are open about everything. 

 I scan the Word for some truth that will penetrate my wounded heart. I’m too distracted by my pain.  Nothing from the Bible is speaking to me so  I slam it shut.  I sit weepy and angry before God, secretly dreaming of how God will handle them.  I feel a deep sense of injustice rising in my bones. Their behavior and judgments are laced with Pharisaical pride.

As I’m dreaming about how God will handle them, I hear the Spirit whisper, “this isn’t about them, this is about you.”  I’m jostled back to my senses as Papa continues with these gentle words. “You are not responsible for their behavior, you’re only responsible for how you treat them.”

  Well, Papa might as well punched me! But He is right.  I’m responsible for the behavior and attitude that flows from my heart.  God asks us to pray for those who hurt us.  He even says to love our enemies.  My heart sinks because I know it’s true. 

In this tender moment, I ask God to create a pure heart in me.  One that honors Him and does what He says, even when it’s hard and especially when I don’t want to. He reassures me that He will handle them as well, without my help.  It’s shocking how God doesn’t need my help with others.  The truth be known, I am only responsible for myself and my heart.

Our Heart Condition

In addition to humility, the next thing we need to look at is the state of our hearts. How does the condition of our hearts affect our connection with God and His ability to teach us?   Only the pure in heart will see God.  What does that mean for us when don’t always have the purest motives before God?  What is the heart anyway?

In the natural, the heart is a muscle that pumps blood through our body and is necessary for our physical well-being.  The heart also represents our mind, will, and emotions. In the spiritual realm, it’s a pretty big deal and the reason God references it often in His Word.

“Being pure in heart involves having a singleness of heart towards God. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no guile, no hidden motives. The pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than an external purity of behavior; it is an internal purity of soul.”- GotQuestions.org

Before you heap all kinds of condemnation on yourself and stop reading, know God’s grace and love cover us. However, God often asks us to examine the condition of our hearts.  He doesn’t do it to condemn us, but rather to see there’s nothing standing between Him and us. Remember friends, He’s a jealous God and He wants nothing blocking our bond.   It’s actually quite sweet when you think about it. What a loving Father, to be concerned about the state of our heart.

Being pure of heart isn’t just about outward behavior, rather it’s a posture of desiring to please God in all things. In our actions, attitudes, motives, and the way we treat others. A  pure heart that is set towards God, is teachable.  It wants to learn, grow, and change. It wants freedom from the things that trip us up and creates distance between us and our Maker.  A pure heart is surrendered, and therefore teachable.

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Let’s pray.

Dear Papa, Please help me with my heart.  It doesn’t always want what You want. It’s selfish and driven by impure motives.  Remove my selfishness and my demands.  Help me live surrendered and quiet before You. Help me be responsible for my heart and You’ll take care of everyone else’s.  I want my heart to be tender and moldable. Teach me your ways, Papa. Amen. 

Still, struggling?

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