Central Truth

Where Your Heart Is, The Rest of You Will Follow

Reflections

Have you ever struggled with a particular sin or maybe with a set of sins? Have you said, “I’m going to do better. I know I can beat this," but, then fall into the same trap–into a pattern of defeat? Of course, we all have.

So, how can we consistently walk before our Lord in victory over sin? Jesus gives us great insight into what the key really is for seeking His righteousness. He knew that we could not be victorious in our own flesh. He knew that following Him has more to do with the heart than with the flesh. In Matthew 6, He said, “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. But store your treasures in heaven… Your heart will be where your treasure is.” (Matthew 6:19-21) He knew that the flesh only follows what the heart already treasured. I remember hearing a business executive talk about accomplishing great things in the business world. He said, Throw your heart over the wall, and the rest of you will follow.” I also remember hearing about a boxer who prepared for a big fight. By the time he finished training, he knew he had the victory before he even stepped into the ring. As we read the key verse again, we must go to the writer of Proverbs who said, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4.23)

When we come to faith in Christ, we relinquish the reigns of our hearts. We say, “Jesus, You take over. You decide what I should do, where I should go, which relationships to foster.” Sure, we must make choices every day, but the difference is what is in our hearts when we make those choices. If we make choices without thinking about the consequences or if they are pleasing to the Lord, then we have to ask ourselves, “What am I treasuring in my heart? Is Jesus really Lord of my entire life?” Guard your heart!

Discussion Questions

1. What is most essential for us in order to “have the victory before stepping into the ring”? (See James 1:14-18 for insight)

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your attitude toward committing sin?

3. Is that number in line with how the Scriptures view it? If not, why?