8 Ways to Keep a Soft Heart
By Capazin Thornton
While, there are tons of things in this world you cannot control, there are two vitally important things you can control:
- What you do with your heart
- What you do with your mouth
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it springs the issues of life.” Verse 24 says: “Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips far from you.
Powerful forces of life (escape-ways, deliverance) are just waiting to spring from your heart and be released through your lips. Thus, above everything you guard, guard your heart (inner man). . . especially against hard-heartedness.
Hard-heartedness
People do not just wake up one day and say, “I think I will be hard-hearted.” No, insensitivity, unfeeling, uncaring attitudes creep into one’s heart over time. At the root may be anger over a perceived need unmet, an issue unresolved, or a hurt unhealed.
The Bible links hard-heartedness to:
- unbelief (Mk 16:14)
- pride (Dan 5:20)
- stubbornness (2 Chron 36:13)
- rebellion (Heb 3:8)
- deceitfulness of sin (Heb 13:3)
The fruit of hard-heartedness is personal misery, stagnation, and disintegration of relationships. In a divorce, you can be sure at least one spouse is hard-hearted. Jesus said, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended” (Mt. 19:8).
Hard-hearted people are obstinate and unyielding. (Think Pharaoh who became increasingly obstinate against God. And, the book of Revelation reveals during the 7-year tribulation people refuse to repent and turn to God.)
It is imperative that we do everything we can, while we can, to keep a soft heart.
8 Ways to Keep a Soft Heart
To keep a soft heart, stay reverent
“Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” –Prov 28:14
To keep a soft heart, stay sensitive to God
Always listen attentively and be responsive the moment God speaks to your heart.
Most importantly, never allow people to change your response to God. (Think King Saul who was more interested in pleasing people than he was in pleasing God.)
To keep a soft heart, stay sensitive towards others
Love God, and love people the way you love yourself. This is the sum of God’s law.
Rudy Giuliani recently explained the reason there were so few homeless people on the streets of New York under his administration. He said when you love people you won’t let them live on the streets. You will find a way to help them get and stay off the streets.
We must never forget how far down we had gone before God lifted us up, and how blind we were before God opened our eyes.
In His earthly ministry, Jesus was always moved with compassion. He consistently worked to improve people’s lives. If we truly have His Spirit, we will be moved with compassion to pray for, encourage, and bless people whenever and wherever we can.
To keep a soft heart, forgive everybody
Don’t allow negative forces (anger, bitterness, resentment) to get a foothold in your heart. Don’t get mad at God when things don’t work out the way you want. Don’t hold grudges. Forgive everybody quickly and completely.
To keep a soft heart, be quick to repent
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted…” —2 Cor 7:10
To keep a soft heart, let God’s Word work on you every day
“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”—Jer 23:29
The Word will scrutinize, judge and critique the very thoughts and intents of our hearts, if we let Him. (Heb 4:12-13)
To keep a soft heart, keep a melody in your heart
“speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”—Eph 5:19
To keep a soft heart, pursue peace
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”—Heb 12:14
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Are you allowing God’s Spirit and Word to work in your heart? Please feel free to post your comments.
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Capazin Thornton is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher, and author in Orange County, California.
