Research has proven that the brain sends emotional “data” to the heart, not vice-versa. You can also bet your chips that the heart is the seat of attitude. As adults, we’ve learned to camouflage these “attitudes,” but the expression on a child’s face is a ready give-away of theirs.
I’ve watched children lie with a straight face, and even toddlers (with undeveloped verbal language) expressively shake their head ‘no’ in answer to a who-dune-it inquiry. It made me wonder: “How did he/she comprehend such an abstract maneuver to deflect blame, to avoid punishment?! Obviously, it doesn’t take practice; in a split second, we make this truth-or-consequence choice to fess-up and face it, or to lie and live in limbo.
By facing the truth, we choose to walk in the light. By lying, we’re forced into hiding. Deception casts a shadow of fear (of being found out), and its guilt pierces our heart. Guilt holds us back from spontaneous walks in the Son, worship, and prayer.
Yes: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)
Yes: we will find ourselves guilty of many deceptions before we meet our Maker.
Yes: we will shy away from communion because of our sin.
The uncontrollable emotions and sunken feelings often lead people to think of suicide as a solution for levitra 40 mg http://hartbuildersinc.com/html/outdoor.html their problems.
Although all of the above are true, we should not sin! But thankfully, our God is an awesome God and sees us through the red-tinted glasses of redemptive blood. I quote Jim Croft’s perspective on this:
“In my estimation, one of the most encouraging passages that affirms answers to prayer is 1 John 3:16-23. It reveals that the condemnation of heart that prevents people from confidently making prayer requests in faith of positive outcome is overruled by God himself. The inference is that if our hearts condemn us, that God is greater than our hearts. His magnanimity of heart overrules and nullifies any condemnation within our hearts so that we can pray with full expectation of reward. The qualifier for this is not obedience to an endless list of biblical and self-inflicted religious regulations. All that we need do is believe on the name of Jesus and love our fellow Christians. You know in your inmost knower that you consistently meet that qualification in all circumstance. God is greater than your heart and invites you to pray for whatsoever you desire with expectant faith.”
Amen.
AFFIRM: “O Lord, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105 NAS) By Your Word, I am redeemed. I am forgiven. I AM blessed. I choose the path of Truth.”