Oxford University in England sells t-shirts that say:
The more I study, the more I learn,
The more I learn, the more I know,
The more I know, the more I forget,
The more I forget, the less I know,
So why study?
The question about studying kind of makes sense when you consider the process.
There’s also some truth to be found in this t-shirt statement when you apply it to the heart. As you mature, you realize that you don't really know yourself – from the inside - the way that you thought you did.
It’s a heart issue. Do you really know what your heart’s like and how it got in that condition? That’s why we need to look at things from God’s vantage point. Check out what Jeremiah 17:9 says about the heart. The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
Jesus has some strong words to say about the heart in Matthew 15:19. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.
Ugly list! It’s what comes out of our heart that affects our attitudes and behavior. It determines our character - makes us who we are. The inside matters. Our heart is inclined to take the easy way out and ignore God’s wisdom for living. That’s why it’s easy to give into temptation that creeps up on us.
Most of us work hard to keep physically fit and try to keep ourselves looking attractive on the outside. But God wants us to be more concerned about the inside where other people can’t see. That's why we need to ask Him to change our heart condition and show us how to keep it healthy. God knows everything there is to know about us…the good and the not-so-good. He also has the power to transform us into the person He designed us to be.
Ask God to uncover everything you need to know about your character ... so you can become more like the person He designed you to be.
