Based on Matthew 6:1-21 (New King James Version)
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
There is a line, per se, that connects this entire passage, and that is: motivation, that which generates action. But where does motivation come from? Science tells us that motivation comes from a place in the brain that is called the amygdala. This area is crucial for motivation. And when it is stimulated, it sends a signal to the prefrontal cortex where this information is stored, that which keeps our memories, or also helps us to process information so that we can either respond or ignore. But to be able to see God’s point of view, we need to go deeper. Yes, it is true that the brain has much to do with this, but there is a more exact site that we need to deal with. God talks about the heart of man, and that there is where the motivation we will be talking about comes from, from the intent of the heart.
We will not go into the issue of where is this heart that the Bible speaks of at this point. The Bible uses the term “heart” to be able to describe the main center of a man, what is most intimate in a human being, and there is where motivation or intention comes from. Wherever it is, this is where all of our being rests, where a man’s soul resides. And here is where we will need to differ with science, because human science can only deal with the visible world, with the physical. Science can simply not deal with the heart. Psychiatry tries in a way, and they even use chemicals to alter or correct issues that have to do with the heart, but the great majority of times, it is not possible to deal with invisible things through physical things, or in that case, with chemicals or medications. That’s where science’s limit come into play.
Now then, many times people make the comment that a person should follow their heart to make decisions that go beyond logic. Many say that you need to “feel” things so you can determine certain things in life. But should that really be the compass (per se) we should use to give our life direction? Biblically speaking, it is not a good idea to let ourselves be guided by our heart because our heart is not good (I’m sorry to say because I know that this will offend many, but the truth is the truth). This is what the Word of God says about man’s heart: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:18-19. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9.
Why is our heart like that? What is it that determines it to be evil? And here is where the word “sin” comes in. Many try to put sin in a place where it only means to kill someone, or for things that society deems as evil, but sin involves many things. But if a person says that they believe in the God of the Bible, they should give more credence to what God says is sin, and not what human beings desire to define as good or bad. This is what the Bible says about our sinful nature: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. After Adam and Eve’s fall, every human being after that inherited sin, and this is at the center of our being, of our heart. So then, if you follow your heart as it is, you are allowing yourself to be led by something that will guide you straight to hell, because only sin will guide you, and the wages of sin is death.
So then, what should we do about it? How can we change the intent of the heart? We must understand that this is crucial because on this basis is that God will judge us, as it is written: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. It all starts with acknowledging God’s existence, and looking for this God, for it is also written: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20. God appeals to our senses and to our reason, to very basic things. And He tries to break our pride through circumstances that can help us see the obvious, that we are empty, limited, fallible beings, and that we quite simply need Him for everything. Look at the universe, both the small and great, and what we are in comparison, and you will realize that we have no control over anything, and that by logic, we should look for this Creator and Almighty Being, because it is the only sensible thing to do. And finally, God changes the heart through repentance and conversion, when a person realizes their sin and their limitations, and make Jesus their Lord. Our heart can never change without complete acknowledgment and repentance from all sin. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is our only solution. So then, do you truly desire for your heart to have divine intentions for eternal life? Lord bless! John