Sometimes we limit ourselves because we use the wrong measure of what is meaningful to God. What means most to our Lord is what’s in our heart. Our heart is His measurement for potential. A heart after God has unlimited potential. Heaven hunts down a heart hungry for God to accomplish its purposes. We can wait for the right opportunity because He is in control, or we can spend an inordinate amount of energy arranging our lives, when ultimately God is the one who opens or shuts doors. God chooses who He wants to carry out His causes, and He first looks inward for a pure heart.
Therefore, a pure heart is our first step in doing God’s will, for the heart is where our motivations reside. Why we do what we do incubates within our heart. This is why it is imperative that the Holy Spirit rubs our heart with the oil of authenticity. He massages away toxic motives and keeps us honest. He is the best at calling our commitment into question. Am I serving Him for what I can get or for what I can give? He calls us to place the welfare of others above our own needs. The heart is where goodness grows, as it is nurtured in a heart with the Holy ambition of knowing the Lord.
Sometimes we attempt to compliment someone by saying he or she has a good heart. However, in some cases, our comments carry a tinge of condescension. We add a ‘but.” He has a good heart, but he gives no attention to details; She has a good heart, but she is not good with follow-up; He has a good heart, but he cannot think strategically; He has a good heart, but he is not an effective leader; She has a good heart, but she is not very smart; So, what do we really mean when we say someone has a good heart?
A good heart does not guarantee success in a certain skill set, but it does position us for success. Indeed, both character and competence are necessary for success. A superb salesman without a good heart should be shunned. A dependable manager without a good heart will bring you grief. A leader who gets results without a good heart will run off good people. Make sure to align goodness of heart with goodness in skill, otherwise this disconnect will erode your work or family culture. Require goodness of heart with giftedness.
Goodness of heart comes from God. It is His gift, not to be taken for granted. Learn to diagnose the heart. Outward trappings can fool you into recruiting or relying on the wrong person. Get to the heart of the matter, and observe how they relate to their spouse. Is there love? Is there respect? Marriage interactions bring out the heart. Look beyond a résumé, to results based on courage. Did she take risks for the sake of the team? The heart is the best long-term indicator of dependability. Skill can be taught, but character is conformed by a heart enamored with Christ. Allow the Spirit to keep your heart healthy for Him, and qualify others based on God’s qualifications. Good hearts attract and keep good-hearted people. They attract God and retain His blessings.
Our Prayer: Lord, thank You for qualifying me for Your call on my life.
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