Hearts not Lips
Do you harbor wrong attitudes in your heart? Would you like to talk with us about this?
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30am EST.
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” (Matthew 15:8, 9).
You’ve heard people say:
• “Talk is cheap.”
• “He’s just giving lip-service.”
• “Put your money where your mouth is.”
These sayings are all just ways to express that the words you speak have little value if they are not followed up with action.
Even more than your fellow citizens, God is interested in the attitude of your heart rather than your words.
God sees our hearts; He knows our thoughts; He discerns the attitudes and motivations behind our actions.
When we say we love God, but haven’t surrendered our will to Him, we are just like the Pharisees He addressed in these verses from Matthew (also in Mark 7:6, 7).
The Pharisees had become caught up in the rules they had created for daily life. Their worship of God became an opportunity to show everyone how well they followed the rules. Thus, rather than worshipping God, they were merely glorifying themselves. By focusing on external conduct they forgot that unlike men, God looks at the heart:
• “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
• “God does not judge by external appearance” (Galatians 2:6).
Let us be mindful of the fact that our words are meaningless to God if they don’t reflect a heart that is seeking Him.
God, I want my heart to be near to You. Thank you for this reminder that You are more concerned with my thoughts and motivation than You are with my words. Forgive me for trying to look good while harboring wrong attitudes in my heart. Amen.
Questions: When you consider the frustration you have experienced when people say what they think you want to hear without meaning it, how do you think God feels toward us when we do the same thing?
About Suzanne Benner
Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, The Observatory, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
What a wonderful devotion! Everyone’s comments were very thought provoking and meaningful. Thank you:) Our actions and attitudes are so important to the world around us if we claim to be christians.
Thank you, kanj, for your kind words! What a blessing you are, dear sister! And, I think you are so right, when you say that “God would be offended when we walk the walk without talking the talk!” Peter told us to always be ready to give an answer to those who might ask about the hope that we have. (1 Peter 3:15) Also, the Great Commission cannot be accomplished without sharing the ‘good news,’ and Isaiah proclaims, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Is 52:7) Paul, then, reminds us of this, again, in Romans 10:14-15. In a more sobering message from Jesus, we are warned that “if anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory . . .” (Luke 9:26) So, it appears that one must BOTH walk the walk and talk the talk, to be pleasing to our Lord, and fulfill His purpose for us. Imperfect saints striving towards Christlike-ness, by the power of His Spirit, and with a full measure of His grace!
to susanne, thank you and to answer your question; God would be offended when we walk the walk without talking the talk.
to marilyn, your responses are always uplifting and wise.
So true, Anita! And, while we’re at it, ought we not be real with each other, too? Until we shed our facades, allowing our true selves to be known, we will always be a hostage to our perceived image, and fear rejection. It is when we face our issues with humility and transparency, that we can finally experience freedom to allow the Holy Spirit to help us change the areas of our lives that hinder our walk with Jesus!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American sisters and brothers — while we are going through some difficult times, we can be thankful that our Lord is sovereign and He still sits on the Throne, and we are free to worship Him in spirit and in truth! Praise Him!
love the question you ask at the end of this one!
Who do we think we are fooling when we tell God what we think He wants to hear? He knows the genuine me so I might as well be real with Him.
good devotional
Hi Alicia! What you say is true, although only our Lord can see our hearts, and therefore judge our motives. While we are to be discerning about behaviors that are clearly dishonoring to God, it is far more loving to ‘speak the truth in love’ privately to an offending brother or sister, than to judge him/her as an unauthentic Christian. We are all fully capable of insincere motives, and it is only because of God’s abundant grace that we are His redeemed! Even the apostle Paul lamented how he did not do the things that he wanted to do, and did the things that he did not want to do, attributing it to sin living in himself. (Ro 7:18-20)
Reminds me of the story about if you were to be in court, would there be enough evidence to convict you? What we say is meaningless if it doesn’t line up with what we do. Personal integrity begins by doing the right thing even if no one is looking. And keeping your heart and motives pure.