Mark 7: 17-23 (NLT)
Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
On Friday, we studied a metaphor of what goes on in your heart when it deals with thoughts. How you have a guard keeper whose job it is to deter the corrupt thoughts of the flesh while welcoming in the righteous, holy ones. Now, we turn our attention to the uncomfortable task of self-analysis. Not the thoughts vying to get in to your heart, but those already making a home there. In recovery circles, we call this “taking inventory.” Looking at ourselves honestly and transparently. No air-brushing. No gray areas. No pie-in-the-sky thinking. Just the real, raw, and relevant you!
Read through the “unclean” list in verses twenty-two through twenty-three.
(Don’t skip this part! Really read back through them!)
Now ask yourself the following questions, which all correlate with the list above. Answer them honestly. This is between you and God:
Does your mouth utter unwholesome talk, from innuendo to gossip? Do you want women, men, or other things you don’t have? Do you steal physical possessions or the joy from others? Are you cutting people down with your words or actions? Are you involved in a physical, mental, or emotional affair with another besides your spouse? Do you want what you can’t have? Are you constantly racked with evil, sinful thoughts? Do you cheat people or only offer half-truths? Do you go around flirting and fanning the flames of lustful behavior? Do you narrow your eyes at people who offend you? Are you involved in a lie about someone else to ruin them personally? Are you too good to ask for help or to admit you don’t know it all? Do you behave more like an immature child than an adult?
If you answered yes to these, you aren’t alone. But its these types of things which make for an unclean heart before God. Before finishing your quiet time today, I encourage you to talk to God. Confess those things. Know that He loves you and desires to forgive you and renew a right heart within you.
