I am not sure why my heart suddenly began stirring around purity--the difference between bring pure and being perfect--but the thoughts have awakened something in me to be reckoned with. I want my heart to be rid of anything that would come between me and God. My thirst for a walk with Him at almost 80 has caused me to be more honest before Him about my daily habits.
Let me say first, its easier to look perfect than to be pure.
I can fool many by my obedience to outward worship, attending church faithfully, giving to others and teaching a Bible study, along with many other forms of outward actions. Christians, including men and women in full time ministry from all flavors of churches are falling into sin in their hidden private life and God is not pleased with them. And we fall into judgement of them as if we could not do the same thing. God tells us to take heed, if we think we will not fall. I Cor. 10:12
And, that is where Satan wants us to live before the world, he wants us to strive to be perfect for he knows we cannot hold that line in our privative lives. The enemy of our soul loves hidden sin and tells us lies that keep us in them. Lies that makes us think God does not know where our hearts are.
Purity isn’t perfection — it’s surrender.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10
God purifies the heart that is willing to be honest with Him. Purity begins when we stop hiding and let Him shine His light on the places we’d rather keep tucked away.
Purity grows through tender repentance — not harshness, not shame, just a soft “Yes, Lord.” (Every day I grow more aware of my need for repentance as I seek to grow deeper into God grace and mercy. Looking at my sins through His pure love for me brings me to repentance and makes me grateful for the means to get my heart clean before a Holy God. )
Purity is shaped by what we feed our hearts. When we fill our inner life with God’s Word, His presence, and His thoughts, purity becomes the natural fruit.
This hit home for me concerning what I watch on TV or read. For the sake of entertainment I watch too much that does not glorify God and often fills my mind with disgust, yet I continue to watch it. Since I am homebound more than ever with my health it becomes too easy to fill up my space of time with unhealthy entertainment. I cannot blame anyone but myself or anything for what goes into my mind and affects my heart.
A pure heart is protected by obedience, strengthened through forgiveness, and completed by love. (
A pure heart is simply a heart that is open, soft, and surrendered to God. ( I love that God loves simple prayers for there is one prayer that helps my heart on a daily base. I try to start my day with this attitude and prayer, God, please help my day to hold less of Betty and more of You. Thank you for all you bring into my daily life to help me walk pure before you.)
There is no way I can live a perfect life before a God who knows better then me the battle for my heart. When I fail, He picks me up, shakes off the dirt and dust from my failure and sets me back on the path He paid for on the cross. I cannot begin to count the times He has done that for me because He loves me, me the sinner, me the one who is so not perfect, me who fails to be obedient all the time.
In my quest to go deep at almost 80 with my Lord I find first I have to go deep into Betty to be made aware of my need for God. I know some would say, and have said to me, Betty you are too hard on yourself. Rather I be hard on myself instead of hard with God. It is Betty who needs a Savior, not a God who needs me, it is Betty who fails, not a God that fails me, it is Betty who needs a pure heart, not the Savior who loves me that needs a pure heart.
Heb. 3:12-13 tell us how to help each other by exhorting one another so that none of us be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (My version of this verse, be harder on Betty then others, judge my own heart and not others, look for sin in my heart and not in others.) As long as I judge others I will not look at my own sins. I Cor. 10:12 Wherefore, let him or her that thinks they stand, take heed lest they fall.
More of you Lord and less of me...
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