CHECK
YOUR HEART

Yesterday we established something important: love is not merely a feeling we choose when it is convenient. God commands us to love.

Today Scripture brings that command much closer.

John essentially says: Don't tell me only about your love for the God you cannot see. Let me see how that love affects the way you treat the people you can see.

That means sometimes the person who needs examination isn't the person who hurt us.

It's us.

We can become very skilled at identifying what is wrong with somebody else's heart while never asking God to examine our own.

They lied. They betrayed me. They disappointed me. They talked about me. They didn't treat me right.

Perhaps every one of those statements is true.

But today's question isn't, “What did they do?”

Today's question is, “What is happening in my heart because of what they did?”

God isn't asking you to pretend you weren't hurt. He's asking you not to allow hurt to become hatred.

He isn't asking you to ignore betrayal. He's asking you not to allow betrayal to transform you into someone who no longer reflects Him.

And this is where love becomes deeply spiritual.

Because sometimes human strength simply isn't enough.

There are people you may honestly say, “Lord, I don't know how to love them.”

That's when we remember: God never commanded us to produce His love without giving us access to His power.

Why?

Because the standard isn't whether I love more than somebody else.

The standard is Jesus.

And when Jesus becomes the measurement, all of us still have room to grow.

Have you ever looked in a mirror before leaving the house?

Maybe you checked your hair. Maybe you checked your clothes. Maybe you made sure there wasn't toothpaste on your face!

Mirrors help us check what is happening on the outside.

That's called checking your heart.

Are you holding a grudge?

Are you still angry because somebody didn't choose you for their team?

Did somebody say something mean, and now you want to be mean back?

Jesus wants to help with that.

Loving God isn't only about singing songs, praying, or going to church.

One way we show God we love Him is by learning to love people.

That doesn't mean you will never get angry.

It means you don't let anger become the boss of your heart.

Jesus can help you forgive. Jesus can help you be kind. Jesus can help you make a better choice.

It's easy to check everybody else.

Who unfollowed you. Who left you on read. Who talked about you. Who switched up. Who embarrassed you. Who wasn't there when you needed them.

And sometimes you're completely right about what they did.

But here's the uncomfortable question:

Because somebody can be wrong about you and you can still become wrong in the way you respond to them.

That's why following Jesus requires more than being able to identify who started it.

Jesus is concerned about who you're becoming.

Maybe they hurt you.

But are you becoming bitter?

Maybe they talked about you.

But are you now trying to destroy their reputation?

Maybe they stopped being your friend.

But are you allowing rejection to turn into hatred?

You can love God publicly and still need Him to work on something privately.

You can post Scripture and still have resentment.

You can worship and still need to forgive.

You can know church language and still need God to change your heart.

That's not a reason to fake being perfect.

It's a reason to be honest with God.