Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today – stop focusing on behaviour and understand that it’s the overflow of my heart. Heart healing results in behavioural change.
Mark 7:20-23 TPT
[20] He added, “Words and deeds pollute a person, not food. [21] Evil originates from inside a person. Coming out of a human heart are evil schemes, sexual immorality, theft, murder, [22] adultery, greed, wickedness, treachery, debauchery, jealousy, slander, arrogance, and recklessness. [23] All these corrupt things emerge from within and constantly pollute a person.”
Observation
So often we judge behaviour. We look at what we, and others do, and we set about on a behavioural modification path. “Stop it,” is usually the unhelpful direction given, usually accompanied by some form of threat if the direction is not adhered too. What must be recognised is that evil is displayed in my behaviour but originates in my heart. All behaviour that manifests darkness is not overcome by focusing on behaviour, it’s an issue of the heart. My behaviour is the evidence of the story of my heart.
I have seen myself and others work hard on the ‘stop it’ path under the weight of shame and condemnation. Occasionally I would manage to hold back the tide of what was in me, but more times than not I spent my time hiding it’s overflow not defeating its presence. But this mask wearing cover up sends me into isolation and gives more power to shame and condemnation. I must name the why of the behaviour before I can be healed and free of its overflow. But when the behaviour is frowned upon where do I find a safe place to explore healing?
It’s my heart that I need to inspect. We must become comfortable with the evidence of sin in our lives while we take the journey of healing. The journey of “within” is not always a quick fix journey. We must defeat the stigma of poor behaviour with acceptance and forgiveness, so that there is room for the safety of the within journey. ‘Stop it,’ must be replaced with an invitation to journey not the demand to end it now. Jesus did not prevent people from sinning, he covered them with forgiveness and then invited them to follow him. If we are to follow him, we must also follow his methods. It’s the journey of the heart in the presence and intimacy of Jesus that the story that manifests in my evil is overcome, healed and renewed. It’s with him that my heart can be inspected and restored, here there is no shame and condemnation only the motivation of beauty and love.
Application
I will not be afraid to embrace my poor behaviour. I will not wear a mask and hide it away. I will never walk the futile stop it path, and I will never carry the weight of shame and condemnation. I will come completely accepted to Jesus and journey with him in the healing of my heart. The man I want to be is not going to arrive in an instant, the journey with God into the beauty of the who I am in him is beautiful and amazing, I will, and He will, not rush it, but rather relentlessly pursue it as I walk open hearted before my God. I will inspect my behaviour in order to explore my heart with you.
Response
Thank you that you focus on my heart and don’t allow my behaviour to turn you away. Thank you that you do not judge or punish my behaviour but rather invite me into the intimacy of heart inspection. Thank you that you have killed the harsh voice of shame and condemnation with the beauty and fullness of your covering of forgiveness. Thank you that I am now free to walk with my bad behaviour exposed before you that together I may receive your freedom and healing. Thank you that I am never stuck, judged, or labelled by my behaviour. I am blessed.
Meditation
What areas in your life, behaviour are you trying to manage rather than allow an inspection of your heart by God?
JOURNEY DEEPER
