How To Develop A Transformed Heart

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
–2 Thessalonians 3:5

How do you go about implementing a plan to become more like Christ? Let me give you some suggestions about how to develop a transformed heart in your life.

For example, if you want to be more forgiving, memorize Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” As you consider the debt from which God has forgiven you, ask Him to bring to mind three people you need to forgive, and make the decision to do so.

If you want to develop a trusting heart, memorize Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plans that I have for you . . . plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Then recall times in the past when God put you through a storm, and reflect on how God led you through those storms.

To develop a more content heart, memorize 1 Timothy 6:6-8: “Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” Make a list of the five things for which you are most grateful, and for the next month, begin your prayer time by thanking God for those five things.

To develop a serving heart, memorize Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others.” Each week, select one person for whom you will make a genuine sacrifice of time or money to meet a practical need they have. It might be a parent, a child, a friend, or somebody at work. You will be surprised at how meeting their needs helps you develop a serving heart.

Are you pleased with the condition of your heart? Are you so pleased with your heart that you would like to spend eternity with it? Doctors say, “Take care of your body–it is the only one you get.” God’s Word says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence because it is the only part of you that will last for eternity.” That realization alone is the best reason I know to begin the process of spiritual transformation now.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Simple Truths About A Transformed Heart” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org