Today we continue with the question, What’s In Your Heart? But what really is the heart anyway?
When we speak of the heart, it is obvious that we do not refer to that vital organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Rather, we refer to the inner man.
The heart is the spiritual core of man. It is central to who we are as a person. It defines our moral character. It speaks of our emotions, will and intellect. The heart has been described as the seat of affections, courage, passions and appetites.
From the biblical references of the use of the term heart, we get the understanding that we can:
think in our heart
feel in our heart
know in our heart
say in our heart
decide in our heart
do in our heart.
The very first mention of the word “heart” in the Bible, speaks to man’s ability to think in his heart: “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his HEART was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). In this context, we recognise that:
(1) God sees the thoughts of man’s heart.
(2) The thoughts of man’s heart are directly related to man’s character and behaviour.
It is vitally important for us to note, therefore, that what we have in our heart reflects who we are as a person. Consequently, for many of us, our prayer should be, “Change my heart oh God!”