There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. Mark 7:15
In our parable series we are asked over and over about what’s most important in life. This week’s story from Mark 7 seems to be no exception. Jesus cuts through pretense and goes straight to the heart issue: is anything more important than God? Now that you have done a reality check and heart check this week, it’s time for action. The condition of your heart is most important to God because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mathew 12:35). Is your heart filled with Jesus and his abundance? “The birthplace of our words matters. We either speak from the hurt of our heart or the hope of our soul,” Lysa Terkeurst writes.
Pray to receive Jesus. Ask him to come and clean your heart from sin, change you from the inside out, and charge you with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:6-10).
It’s who you are that determines what you do. Be with those who have a heart for Jesus and walk in his way. Global missionaries have visited South recently sharing their passion for people groups to know about Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Even their children shared the vision of reaching an entire language group with the good news. Their enthusiasm for spreading God’s love to their neighborhoods, communities and the world is inspiring and motivating. It showed me the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus being lived out. Find someone that walks with Jesus and spend time with them whether they walk with Jesus locally or globally.
By Donna Burns
