Cultivating Pure Hearts So We Can Magnify God

    Good morning!! This week I would like each one of us focus on our heart - the source of our thoughts and words (Proverbs 23:7, Luke 6:45).

    In order to declare God's greatness to the world around us we need to uproot the weeds of complaining, comparison, jealousy, envy, lust, gossip, and anger, to name only a few.

    From wherever you are right now, begin to remove the weed-enhancing influences in your life: soap operas/TV shows/movies/online videos full of immorality, gossip, and bad language; music and/or books that fills your mind with impurities like lust, adultery and fornication. Maybe for you it's idle mind time where you indulge your negative imaginings/anxieties and let the 'worst case scenario' play out in your mind's eye or it could be that you allow yourself to look back on memories of your sinful past with longing. Whatever it is, get to the source and work to remove it from your life.

"... brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

    We should be determined each day to do the work and make the necessary choices/changes that will keep us heading toward a purer heart (1 John 3:1-3). Make time to be with others who are also trying to live right before God:

"Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    When we change our heart, our motives will become loving, our attitudes will improve, our words will reflect the peace and contentment that comes from acknowledging God's blessings of provision in all things!

    We can do this! We can polish our armour and reflect light into the darkness of this world! Let's purify our hearts and magnify God, declaring His greatness and the greatness of His way!

"Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favour my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long." (Psalm 35:27-28 NKJV)

You can do it! So can I!!