Proverbs 27.19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. (NKJV)
Looking into still water is like looking into a mirror. What you see reflected back is exactly what is there. You can’t fool the mirror, you can’t change the image, you can’t filter it, you can’t trick it. The reflection is exactly that of the original.
In the same way, looking into a man’s heart is the true reflection of what he really is. In the secret place of your heart, the image of the real you is reflected. In the same way you can see into a mirror and an image appears, how do you “look” into your heart to see the true image of yourself? Scripture gives us many ways to know what is in our heart.
What your life produces, good or evil, clearly reveals what is in your heart
Luke 6.45 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
The fruit of our lives clearly reveal the true contents of our heart. It is impossible for an evil man to produce a good life. To the contrary, a life of righteousness reveals that a man is following God and that his words can be trusted to be genuine and sincere. We are able to fool people for while, to spin things favorably and even to put on a good appearance for a period of time. But in the end, an evil heart produces evil. There is no way around it.
Is your life full of goodness and truth? Then be confident in God’s presence knowing He is pleased with you. To the degree that evil and wickedness are the hallmarks of your choices, you can ignore the deceptive efforts of your own self-rationalization that strive to downplay the depths of sin that has produced the evil results. Your choices, actions and the resulting harvest, speak loudly concerning the true nature of what is in your heart.
When you squeeze a lemon, you get lemon juice.
What is inside, will come out when the pressure is on. There is no hiding the true nature of our hearts when placed in front of the mirror of life’s trials.
Whether or not your can control your mouth reveals what is truly in your heart
James 1.26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
The inability to control your tongue reveals great deception. Religious efforts are useless when not surrendered to God’s will and accompanied with the power to overcome sin obtained through the washing of regeneration (Titus 3.4-5). The tongue has great power and this small part of the body can control the entire course of a life (James 3.1-12). Whatever is in your heart is manifested in your speech: when you speak, how you speak, where you speak and IF you speak.
Does your tongue bring edification, blessing and praise? Or is it used for strife, gossiping, discontentment, grumbling and whispering? If the heart is the mirror to a man’s true image, then the tongue gives the light to that reflection. Tame your tongue, and you will change your whole life.
Unbelief reveals evil in our heart
Heb 3.12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
Unbelief produces fear, doubts God, and causes us to easily depart from what the Living God has declared as true. Unbelief betrays a heart that believes more in itself, than in the Word of God. It is the deathblow to all things Christian for unbelief in even one thing God has revealed to us, casts doubt on everything He says.
Submission to authority shows our true nature
Col 3.22-24 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Our response and voluntary humility to those in authority over us reveal whether or not we fear God and understand where our true reward is. We should be respectful and obedient to all those in authority over because they were put there by God (Rom 13.1). There is no conditional submission granted in Scripture. We are to be submissive even if our boss isn’t fair, our slave master is harsh or we don’t agree with the Elders. God does not judge us based on how they rule; we are judged by our attitude of submission offered “as unto the Lord”.
Do you find submission to be an offensive word because you’re a person who does things “your way”? You’re not going to be told what to do, especially if you’re right, and they are wrong. Why should you have to obey them? Are you submissive only in pleasant circumstances or when you agree with those over you? If submission is absent, or extremely hard for you, the mirror of your heart is reflecting some serious need that you should pray about immediately and ask God to reveal.
Giving up and losing hope reveals your heart
2 Cor 4.16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
We are to have an eternal perspective on our circumstances. When faced with the trials of life they are but a momentary and light “pinch” compared to eternity. This understanding allows us to have great courage and steadfastness when faced with life’s problems. We realize that while our outward body is decaying and dying day by day; each day brings us one step closer to eternal glory and unimaginable happiness in the Lord’s presence.
When you give up, when you lose heart and become discouraged, you proclaim to those around you that you really don’t believe God is faithful; that you really don’t understand your eternal reward; that you doubt God’s full assurance to see you through any trial and that He is allowing what is best for us at all times.
Caring for others proclaims what is in your heart
1 John 3.17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
We of all people on earth are truly blessed with an abundance of material things. What kind of person sees a brother in need and sends him on his way with a “God bless you” without helping him, despite his ability to do so? Our compassion and sympathy for those truly in need reflect our love and gratitude to God who graciously gave us all we have in the first place (1 Cor 4.7).
Love and good deeds done in truth reveal a man’s heart
1 John 3.18-21 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
Does your heart condemn you? John tells us that we are not to love with our words only; they are to be solidified with our actions and done according to God’s truth. If our Christianity is mere lip service, then our hearts condemn us before God. But if your heart does not condemn you because of your love and good works, then you can have confidence in the presence of God knowing that you are a good and faithful servant (Matt 25.23).
James 1.22-24 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
Your heart reflects who you truly are. God’s word has given us many ways to view the “mirror” of our heart. What do you see today?
Lord God, give us a clear look into our heart. Reveal to us anything that displeases you. Help us today to change what is in our heart, and then it will change our life. Amen.
Contemplation: When you look in to the mirror of who you really are, what do you see? Do you see YOU? Or Christ? Do you understand that question?.
Application: Our goals as Christians is to attempt to be so Christ-like that are reflection is a picture of Him. The only way to do that, is to know Him, spend time with Him and obey Him..
- What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today?
- What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth?
- What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?