Inside Out: A 40 Day Journey to Transforming Your HeartSample

Foolish Heart --> Wise Heart

God created us to feel emotions. Some of us may seem to be more aware of our emotions than others, but that's not the point. God gave us feelings because we wouldn't experience His love without them. His love is what centers us. His love is what gives us peace, comfort, and hope. God gives us emotions to experience intimacy with Him and others. 

God also gave us a mind to think.  Some of us may seem to have more brains than others, but that's not the point either. God gave us a mind to learn His wisdom so that we know how to direct our thoughts and emotions rather than be directed by them.  Proverbs 23:19 says, "Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way." Proverbs 14:8 says, "The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving." God gave us a mind to learn from Him what is wise and then direct our thoughts and emotions toward that end. 

Though our emotions and minds were given to us by God, they are not naturally wise due to our sinful nature. We are stubbornly foolish. Our hearts do not protect us. We cannot trust our thoughts and feelings to be wise in and of themselves. Our hearts can lead us astray to dishonor God as well as our bodies.  Romans 1:21 says, "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." We might know God, but are we going to Him with our thoughts and emotions to see what we should do and how to respond? Or, do we put Him on the back burner, allowing our minds to wander unchecked and our emotions to run wild without restraints so that our hearts lead us off of God's path for us?  

When we follow our hearts and the lust that lies within, we will walk away from the light of life and live in the darkness of sin.   Romans 1 continues in verse 24, "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves." At some point, we will stop feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit if we continue to follow our emotions, feelings, and desires instead of God and His Word. The world says to us: "Just do it." "Do what feels right in your heart." "Do what you think is right." "If it's not hurting someone, it's alright." "If it's love, it's not sinning." "If it feels good, it must be good!" This is the world's wisdom, not God's. If we continue to follow this advice, we cannot protect ourselves from sin, Satan, and our self-destructive behaviors. 

We cannot obtain wisdom from within ourselves. Wisdom is only from God. Job 12:13 says, "With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding." He is our best counselor. He will give us the proper understanding of what we should do.  Job continues in 15:8, "Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?" Proverbs 28:26 says we are a fool if we listen only to ourselves and don't seek God. "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." When we fear God, honoring Him as all-knowing, perfectly holy, and all-wise, we will run to Him for His counsel before we move forward. To grow in wisdom, we must first grow in our fear of the Lord. Job 28:28 says, "And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'" Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." When we fear the Lord, we will run to Him for instructions on what to do and not act impulsively at the moment. 

Wisdom is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 11:2 says, "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD." 1 Corinthians 2:13 goes on to say, "And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual." The Spirit has all wisdom. We just need to ask Him to impart it to us.  James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." Proverbs 2:6-7 says, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity." Following God's wisdom protects us.  

To grow in wisdom, we must grow in discerning what is right and wrong according to the Bible, not by what we feel or think. James 3:17 tells us what wisdom is, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." If what we are about to do or say is not on this list, we would be foolish to move forward. Proverbs 4:5 encourages us to "Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth." If we aren't learners when it comes to the knowledge of God, then we will become futile in our thinking, unable to produce any useful result with our lives. 

When we find wisdom and live it out, we know we have hope and a future. Proverbs 24:14 says, "Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off." There is no future for a fool. Fools continue in their folly which will lead to destruction. Let us intentionally pursue wisdom in God's Word so that we will make wise choices and have a future that is blessed. 

Take a Moment:

• What thoughts and emotions do you need to take to God to learn how to respond correctly? 

• What would it look like for you to intentionally seek God for wisdom in certain areas of your life? 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for offering me Your wisdom if I ask for it. Thank You that the Holy Spirit will guide me in Your Word to know the right way to think and manage my emotions in all circumstances. Help me to not be deceived by my thoughts and feelings, but to pause and take them to You for any needed corrections before I proceed. Amen.