Calloused Hearts
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My heels are dry and cracked. The skin is thick and hard. I can’t feel much with my heels, even if I’m poked with something sharp it takes a while for me to respond.
This verse made me wonder if my heart could be like my heels.
“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:15).
Is it possible that I’ve developed a callous on my heart, a thick skin that is insensitive to the things of God?
The warning against a calloused heart was first prophesied by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9, 10), then quoted by Jesus during his ministry (Matthew 13:15) and later repeated by Paul as the reason he stopped preaching to the Jews and went instead to the Gentiles (Acts 28:27).
Letting go of sin: Exhale sin, inhale the Holy Spirit
Needing a timeout with God?: Take our Life Lesson
Reaching across history, this warning comes to us.
We can become hardened toward what God wants, indifferent to His voice, unfeeling toward the things that grieve Him.
When we close our eyes to injustice, when we fail to hear the cries of those who are suffering, when we fail to listen to God speaking truth in our hearts or refuse to respond to His prodding us to repent, then we are allowing a callous to build up on our hearts.
Let us acknowledge that God is calling to us and heed the call.
~Holy God, I don’t want a calloused heart. Show me the things that I have closed my eyes to and help me to see the sin in my life. Open my ears so that I can hear what You are saying and understand how You want me to respond. Help me to humble myself before You because I want Your healing touch in my life.
Questions: What things in your life have caused your heart to become calloused? What softens a calloused heart?
About the Author Suzanne Benner
** Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Only One You, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
6 Responses to “Calloused Hearts”
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[...] Calloused Hearts by Suzanne Benner [...]
suzanne, what a descriptive way to portray a heart that has felt no love–’calloused’.
there are too many factors to list as to what made my heart calloused. today my life has been simplified. I love Christ Jesus and He, me. it has taken me 48 years to stop being conformed to this world. God willing I will be here to serve others for at least another 30 before I am called. in the meantime, as my spiritual life grows, will I sin at times?-yes! will He help me?-yes! and what does the Lord think of me today? I believe He is saying, ”well done, Kanj, well done.”
what softens my callous heart?-meditation, study of scripture and to each day look about and see what I do have and not what I don’t have. giving love away is the most important thing I can do as I receive it back in abundance.
thank you
Hello lovely women,
This is the first chance I’ve had to comment in such a long time. Anyway, I’m in full agreement with you Marilyn and Beverly….as Christians we are not exempt from the influences of this world, influences that slowly can penitrate our weak minds and souls. In time we become hardened by the things we see and hear and only God can rescue us from this. Spending time in the Word, praying, recognizing when we are becoming ‘calloused’, asking for forgiveness and moving forward. Only when we surrender these things to God will we ‘soften’ up. I pray that God will do a mighty work in each of us, changing us, drawing us closer to Him and softening our hearts. And Beverly, you are right ‘sometimes it hurts’. But nothing good gained ever comes without some kind of pain, physical or spiritual. Praise God that we can run to Him and He will help us……Loving you all from here,
Donna
I get regular pedicures and I know that those heel callouses take a lot of work to get rid of. She soaks and files and sometimes it hurts!! And then it takes lots of attention to being diligent with applying cream to my heels between the work that she does. I think that not developing calloused hearts or getting rid of those callouses requires a lot of work – Bible study and prayer. It has to be constant, diligent work, time spent with God, seeking His heart to replace the calloused one we have neglected.
I believe a calloused heart develops over time, as one allows the concerns of this world to eclipse God’s kingdom agenda. Focusing on our earthly circumstances, our personal needs/wants, we can forget that His plan is what really matters, and all else will burn away! Treasuring what He treasures, loving what He loves, hating what He hates are the hallmarks of a ‘renewed mind,’ and one must have a ‘renewed mind’ to think biblically. And, the only way to a ‘renewed mind’ is feeding on God’s Word, allowing it to penetrate our hearts as a sword! When we genuinely long to know Him and His truth, He is faithful to reveal it, transforming us into authentic Christ-followers, empowered by His Spirit to serve and please Him! But, when we choose to call Jesus our Lord and Savior, then neglect or reject His Word, our minds remain worldly in perspectives, and our hearts can grow cold towards the things of God.