And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. — Ezekiel 36:26-27 ESV
Christians are encouraged to nurture a heart of flesh and embrace a spirit that reflects Jesus instead of the world. Flesh is life. A stone is lifeless. We question an appropriate response to what is happening around us when so many are against Christian values.
How do we develop a heart of flesh?
Pick up a stone. Can you squeeze it? Demand it become soft? Send it to Bible School or take it to church anticipating a changed stone? Like a stone, we can’t choose to have godly characteristics. On our own, we choose greed, selfishness, power, wealth, and other sinful attitudes. God gives us grace to love others and reject behavior that doesn’t come from Him.
The first step to developing a heart of flesh is to accept Jesus’ atonement on the cross, confess our sinful nature, and turn our lives over to God the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. Our lives are no longer ours but belong to Him.
The second step is to prioritize your relationship with God through daily prayer, Bible reading/ study, and tuning out the world to listen to God’s voice. This isn’t a time set by a clock but a 24/7 commitment to breathe in the presence of God and exhale the worries of this life.
The third step is to become actively involved in a church community. Friendships that form in church are strengthened by the bond of love, sacrifice, and giving. Peace and joy reside in the believer’s heart when worship and fellowship are shared. Disagreements and confusion are resolved more easily when the foundation is Jesus Christ.
The fourth step is to recognize God’s Truth, and we are to seek His truth and not a definition. Never take someone’s word as truth until checking with God’s word—the Bible.
How do we respond to confrontation, ridicule, and prejudice because of our faith?
Jesus said to expect persecution when we follow Him. It’s a sure thing, not a possibility. The Holy Spirit guides and directs us, never leaving our side, and promises to provide us with strength and encouragement during hard times.
Read how Biblical men and women of the Bible handled persecution. Our circumstances may not include facing death for following Jesus, but people can deny us friendships, social status, career choices, education opportunities, and other unfair behaviors. Jesus, his disciples, the apostle Paul, and others dealt with discrimination. These are our role models.
Love blankets every Christian decision.
Love for God.
Love for God’s precepts.
Love for people.
Grace first given to us by God shields us from anger and bitterness. Unmerited favor, praying for our enemies, forgiveness of wrongdoing, and bridling our tongue come from God and never from ourselves.
Pray for grace to accept an offensive action or statement isn’t personal.
Pray for a loving response.
If the offense is against the law, would we benefit God’s people and glorify Him by seeking restitution?
Pray if the best solution is to walk away or stand and fight.
Pray for God to guard your heart from temptation.
Pray for wisdom to respond as Jesus would do.
The world doesn’t understand God’s ways because the poison of descension has given them a heart of stone. We are to glorify God with every breath we take during victories and challenges.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I ask you to search my heart, and if any offensive thing is found there, please remove it. Please show me when to walk away or stand and fight. Guard my heart from temptation and give me the wisdom to lead a discerning life. Amen.
Your turn: Have there been times when you’ve struggled with a hard heart, holding onto bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness? If so, I understand. It’s easy to happen if left unchecked. If that’s been your struggle, how do you plan to use one of the four steps suggested to soften your heart?
Our guest contributor is DiAnn Mills
She's a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels with threads of romance. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure? Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
Thank you for sharing these insights, DiAnn! The Holy Spirit is so powerful in prompting our hearts to change for him! I have struggled with a hardened heart, particularly resentment and bitterness. The second step you mentioned is so key to helping in this area because prayer and tuning in to hear God's voice tears down negative thoughts and replaces them with what God says.
Thank you so much, Katherine, for hosting me today.