#Blessed: Purity of Heart

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
Galatians 5:22-23 (The Message)

What bliss you experience when your heart is pure! For then your eyes will open to see more and more of God.
Matthew 5:8 (The Passion Translation)

Aisha’s Analysis

Purity of heart is something I’m sure we all want and admire and think sounds good in theory, but how can it be practically attained/maintained?

Proverbs 4:23 (TPT) states:

So above all, guard the affections of your heart,
for they affect all that you are.
Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being,
for from there flows the wellspring of life.

This shows that life flows out of our hearts–our innermost being, which begs another question: how do you guard your heart? The preceding verses (20-22 TPT) in Proverbs 4 gives us some clues:

Listen carefully, my dear child, to everything that I teach you,

and pay attention to all that I have to say.

Fill your thoughts with my words

until they penetrate deep into your spirit. 

Then, as you unwrap my words,

they will impart true life and radiant health

into the very core of your being.

Meditating on God’s Word and hiding it in your heart not only guards your heart, but it also imparts “true life and radiant health into the very core of your being” (Proverbs 4:22 TPT).

Purity of heart can be had when your heart is in alignment with God’s Word. God’s Word is the cleansing agent of our souls. When you are reading God’s Word, your own motives and misconceptions come to light. It forces you to confront them head on. While the light of God’s Word may reveal some things you would rather hide, it’s totally worth the exposure. It’s an opportunity for true life and radiant health.

Application

One easy way to check your motives is by simply observing how you deal with disappointments in life. This often shows us where our trust really is. When you don’t get something you were hoping or believing for or are still waiting, what is your attitude towards God?

It’s okay to be honest here. I’m sure we’ve all had our fair share of shattered expectations, but the point is: when you are trusting in God and rooted in Him, He won’t let you stay shattered. He will rebuild you and purify you. Let that be an encouragement as you open yourself back up to Him today.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for not leaving me where You found me. We are on a journey together. I pray Psalm 84:5 over my life: Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5 NKJV). As we continue on this journey, I pray that I would see You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

City Life Starter