Jesus paints a very clear picture of what resides in the heart of man, and in these verses, I am reminded of how desperately I need Jesus. I can honestly say that as I read through the list Jesus gives here, all of these things have been an issue in my own heart when I have walked according to my flesh. I’m reminded of how dark my own heart can be regardless of how good I may appear on the outside. In our flesh, we are all tainted with sinful hearts. In Psalm 14:3, David points out that not a single person is righteous … But JESUS! When Jesus enters in, our hearts are changed, our desires mold into His desires, our passion to pursue ourselves turns into a love for honoring and serving the one perfect Savior. I pray today that we find joy in the fact that when we are in Jesus we are covered by His goodness and grace, not by what resides in our natural hearts. May we echo the heart of Paul today in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
Mark 7:20-23
9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10