A CLEAN HEART IS A MUST IN REACHING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL
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“Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”—Psalm 51:10
Reaching your full potential begins
with a clean heart—one that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. The Scriptures teach us that, “The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test
the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit
of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10). Pleasing
self is a person’s normal state before they are born again, and when they are
still living in a carnal state of mind. The
Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians stating that they were carnal because
they had to be fed with milk and not the meat of the gospel. He went on to say that anyone who envies is
in strife and division is still in carnality (I Corinthians 3:1-3).
Salvation changed our hearts and
lives. Jesus’ death on the cross paid
the penalty for our sin and broke its power over us. By receiving Christ as Savior we each became
a new creation—with a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and a mind
that strongly desires to know the Father better. We also received the Spirit’s power to deny
our selfish desires and obey God. With
clean hearts, we can begin to realize the capabilities that Jesus gives to
us.
The best way to maintain a clean
heart is by meditating on Scripture. It
acts like a mirror in which we see ourselves as God does. Through it, we discover the areas where we
have been faithful and also the places where we have veered from His path. Expressing genuine repentance brings God’s
forgiveness and cleansing. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John
1:9).
The heart represents the seat of our
mind, will, and emotions. When we strive
to keep it pure, we will more easily discern the Lord’s plan, submit our will
to His, and follow Him obediently.
Becoming the person God planned for each of us to be, requires an
intimate relationship with Him and a desire to obey His Word. Apart from Jesus, we can not achieve anything
of lasting value, “I am the vine, you are
the branches. He who abides in Me, and I
in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s
transforming work will help you keep your heart clean.
Prayer—Father I thank you for the cleansing agent of your Word, Holy
Spirit and the blood of Jesus. I ask you
to forgive me in any area that I have allowed my selfish desires to over-ride
the Holy Spirit and to cleanse me from all filthiness of the flesh. From this day forward I will put You first in
my life. Thank You for helping me to reach
my full potential, in Jesus Name. Amen.
