Some of you may have noticed a kind of inconsistency in what I’m saying. Is it our way of seeing things, our worldview, that enables us to change, or is it our habits? For Nancy Pearcey and Charles Colson, it’s clear that our worldview dictates everything we do. In contrast, Tish Warren and James K. A. Smith emphasize the importance of habit in making decisions. So, who’s right? It seems to me that both aspects can be found in the Bible. Covenant Theological Seminary’s professor of Old Testament, Jay Sklar, has written a very interesting article on the subject. The article is entitled To change your heart, change your actions. It helps us understand this dynamic. Here’s what he writes:

« Wait, that title doesn’t make any sense. Don’t our actions come from our hearts? Shouldn’t that mean we have to change our hearts before our actions change? Yes and no… The Bible often emphasizes that we do bad things because our hearts are bad. Jesus couldn’t be clearer: « For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slander » (Mt 15:19)…

Jesus emphasizes that our actions also transform our hearts. Anyone with a smartphone understands this immediately: the more you look at it (action), the more you want it (heart). Note how Jesus describes this in the following words: « Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. » (Mt 6:19-21). Notice the order Jesus uses. He doesn’t say, « For where your heart is, there your treasure will be » (although this is obviously true). He emphasizes the opposite: « For where your treasure is – where you invest your time, your energy, your actions – there your heart will be too! ». His point is simple: our actions shape our hearts like soft clay in a potter’s hand. Evil actions deform and twist our hearts into objects of horror. If we spend our time thinking about having more and more money and focusing our energy on trying to earn more and more, our hearts will become greedier and greedier. Conversely, good deeds help to shape and mold our hearts into objects of beauty. If we spend our time thinking about the advancement of God’s Kingdom and focus our energy on trying to spread His glory, our hearts will radiate a love for God that will guide all our actions… This means that Christians will need to pay very close attention to how they invest their time, energy and actions, because these are the things that will shape their hearts, for good or ill. Here are some questions to consider:

Am I practicing the good habits the Scriptures speak of for heart health: prayer, fasting, Bible reading, worship and Christian fellowship?

What do my priorities in spending money reveal, especially my « disposable » income? Do I ever make sacrifices?

What does the way I spend my time, especially my free time, say about my priorities? Are there one or two simple changes I can make to introduce more heart-healthy practices into my daily routine?

Of course, we do none of the above to earn God’s love. In Christ, God gives us his love freely. But we do these things because we want to love God more – and we know that our actions can help our hearts to do so. « ¹

¹You can find the original article here.