Heart Maintenance

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

─ 1 John 1:8-9

Mary Ann took advantage of the two-mile road that looped the neighborhood. With spring approaching, the weather cooperated more frequently with her desire to get out and exercise.

Unlike her home and a few others in the neighborhood, built less than five years ago, most of the homes were close to 40 years old. Most were nicely kept and updated, but a few really brought the housing values down, like the one next door to her home.

She deliberately started her walk to north of the loop, so that she didn’t have to look at the dilapidated property until the very end of her walk, otherwise she’d fume about it the whole time she explored the loop.

As she rounded the corner and the eye-sore property came into view, familiar thoughts came to mind. She imagined a bulldozer plowing the overgrown trees and shrubs, and even a controlled burn being arranged to allow fire to consume all the debris and trash along the little creek that separated her property from her neighbor’s.

Suddenly, a new thought entered her mind. Is that what my heart looked like to God before He gave me new life? She imagined her Heavenly Father walking, watching and waiting for the invitation to clean up her unkept heart.

Today’s One Thing

Imagine what your heart looked like before you invited God to do some heart maintenance. How do you keep your heart free from the debris that try to grow up now that you know Him?

Receive Devotionals like This in Your Email