The heart, who can understand it?

This shirt is inspired by reading of Jeremiah and just reflecting on how true this scripture is. Back then, before then, and now.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Amen, Jeremiah! This is echoed in other scripture that stood out to me a lot, especially when I was newly born again.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 is another favorite “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the cheldren of man is fully set to do evil.”

If you read The Bible and come to understanding at any meaningful level, this is a curious thing. And while I am aware we don’t like to apply this to ourselves personally, we don’t take it to heart often, I think we should. Why?

If we take this seriously, we can easily see it’s truth looking into the world. We see the hypocrisy of it all. The vanity. This helps us to hate the world and what it stands for and whom it follows. But when we honestly apply it to ourselves and examine our own hearts and ways, it makes us humble. Knowing what we are. And that in turn makes space for Jesus to show us truth and help us to do good through Him!

So by acknowledging that we have this tendency in us, we can then at least overcome it as is possible in Christ.

I think one key in this is knowing what evil is and how it can be described in The Bible. As this is a heart issue text, one of the great evils of our time and all time for example, is our pride. And it comes out in a lot of ways. Some people are so proud that they have pride in having pride! They make parades out of the idea of pride and celebrate it! As if it’s a good thing :D It’s pretty ironic, but they don’t know, as that is a blinding level of pride. But on a more basic Christian level, we often struggle with the pride of “being right”.

We love to be right! Myself included, I have had to be shown interesting ways to overcome that. But in reality and irony that only the scriptures can produce, it’s not really like that. There is too much paradoxical truth contained in scripture to be concerned about being “right”. We miss the point if we think we have “the right answers” or are “right” in general. That is a big part of why we are often viewed as “self righteous” hypocrites by outsiders. But we also miss out on opportunity to teach the radical and deep truth of scripture when we are concerned about “being right”. Hence the traditions of man can be a massive hindrance, as they are concerned about who is right. Despite it being written, no man thinks as high as God. Nor are our ways His ways. These clues are everywhere in The Bible, probably for good reason.

But why? Doesn’t everyone want to be right? Yes, exactly! Humans have a deep desire to be right, it’s our pride! And the cost of this little heart flaw is untold? Who could even say? This is just one of many heart problems we face, so I think it’s part of the reason we should try to stay very humble. Also if we become proud in heart, we forget that The Word is living, and therefore anyone could teach us things we never even considered. As The Holy spirit can reveal different things to different people of different experience. But if we place our knowledge too high, our pride robs us of such things. So this is something to keep in mind, continually.

Instead of being “right” it would probably be good if we aim to be highly accurate. If we have a point, an argument or challenge, different angle or whatever. If we are simply accurate to the scripture and precepts that govern our thought, then that is a more interesting way I find. And this helps to keep me away from pride in this way, it’s the scripture not me. The only thing I know if I am making a point, is what the scripture says. I didn’t write it, I’m not Jesus. So what is there to be prideful about? How can I even be “right” with that in mind? Rather I can be correct or incorrect, based on if the text I point to is accurate to my point, etc.

But pride works in several ways, and that is just one challenge of it that I have had some success in overcoming in Christ. So it never really changes this thing about the heart. I could then become prideful that I found this solution, if I don’t keep an eye on my wicked and sick little heart. It never ends! The heart wants credit for everything and responsibility for nothing.

I just felt a little pride that I came up with that saying about credit and responsibility. I don’t even know if it’s true, I just liked the way it sounds. Ridiculous! It does sound right though :D

Who can understand it? Help me Jesus!