Devotional By: Stephanie Solorzano
Heart check. Those words bring a little chill down my spine. When I think of a “heart check,” I don’t think of something physically wrong with your heart where a doctor is needed; I think of a heart posture, something spiritually wrong where the work of Holy Spirit is needed.
Today, I want to submit a thought to you regarding the topic of getting a heart check. Something I have realized within the Christian community is there can often be a stigma regarding the topic of needing a heart check. When one thinks about a heart check, it can often to lead to a feeling of guilt, shame, or even pride stemming from not wanting to let God or people down. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.
See, as we walk with Jesus, Him tugging at our hearts to act or speak a certain way is inevitable. Sometimes, we may fall below the standard that He is set. In fact, Romans 3:23 says, “ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” It is important to understand that everyone needs a heart check at some point, but it is their response to the heart check that really matters.
This can be seen in the story of David and Solomon. Both fell short of God’s standard fore their lives but their response was what was starkly different. As David was exposed for his sin in committing adultery with Bathsheba, he was overwhelmed with repentance. He fasted and prayed before God. He lamented at the idea of him not being in right standing with God. Solomon was a different story.
Though Solomon started off strong, as we often do, he failed to adhere to those heart checks that we often get. “The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord , the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord ’s command.” (1 Kings 11:9-10)
These responses compared to one another prove to be extremely different. One was sensitive, one was apathetic. One response was repentant, the other was prideful.
As we end this devotional, I want to give you some guidelines for how to respond to a heart check when we feel that tug.
