What Sin is in Your Heart?

Are you focused on conquering the sin in your life? What sin is in your heart?

It’s so easy to focus on everything and everyone else, overlooking the fact that we have an issue with sin in our own hearts. Most of the problems that we have can be traced back to sin. The apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians from prison, but he still wrote with joy and contentment:

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

– Philippians 4:11

This demonstrates that it’s not about our circumstances, but rather what’s in our heart. Circumstances only reveal the heart.

Are you a complainer? That’s sin (Philippians 2:14). Judge? Sin (James 4:11-12). Meddle in everyone else’s business? Sin (I Timothy 5:13). Are you an angry person? Sin (James 1:19-20, Ephesians 5:1-2). What about pride? Yes, more sin (Romans 12:16, Proverbs 6:16-17, Proverbs 7:13).

We have become so desensitized to our sin. Our society doesn’t honor God, and many churches neglect to focus on sin and the condition of the heart. We are more concerned with prospering, more focused on receiving blessings than we are the condition of our heart- yet God’s Word tells us that He is more concerned about the inward than the outward (I Samuel 16:7).

This reveals another sin that we struggle with, one very easily undetected- selfishness.

Not dealing with the sin in our heart will hold us back from God’s best for us. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of not dealing with one’s sin, while working harder to get what you want. We don’t have to do that. Believe it or not, we don’t even have to work for everything we get!

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

– Psalm 37:4

Our God is a gracious God.

When I read God’s Word about His chosen ones (those He set aside and used for His glory), one thing that constantly stands out to me is that they weren’t perfect; but they had a level of purity about them, a sincerity, a desire to do right.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

– Matthew 5:8

God sees right through us all, straight to our heart. Even His Word divides our soul and spirit, discerning even the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Are you more focused on looking the part than you are with conquering the sin in your heart?

We should spend more time cleaning our inside than we do trying to look clean on the outside. I’ve found that when we are clean on the inside it will show on the outside. No amount of make-up can cover up a dirty soul. Nothing compares to the beauty of the Lord. Absolutely nothing.