The Root Problem

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

–Proverbs 4:23

In Mark 12:29–31, Jesus boiled all of God’s commands down to two: Love God fully, and love other people as yourself. That’s what pleases God.

You might ask, “What about dealing with sinful behaviors? Isn’t God concerned about that too?” Of course. But unless our hearts are right, nothing else in our lives will be right. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Every issue you’re confronting right now comes down to the condition of your heart:

• Whether you’re paralyzed with fear depends on whether you’ve developed a fearful heart or a trusting heart.
• Whether you allow immorality to consume your life depends on whether you’ve developed an adulterous heart or a pure heart.
• Whether you allow anger to control your actions depends on whether you’ve developed a bitter heart or a forgiving heart.

A changed life comes from a changed heart. But we get it backward. We try to modify our behavior, thinking that will change our lives. We join accountability groups to break our addictions. We cut up our credit cards to control our spending. We medicate ourselves to control our anxiety. None of those things is wrong. But we never experience lasting victory because we haven’t dealt with the root problem.

Some years ago, I was taking a shower when suddenly I was overwhelmed by an offensive odor. I thought, Even I couldn’t smell this bad! Sure enough, sewage was bubbling up from the shower drain and lapping onto the bathroom floor. My wife and I mopped up the mess and poured Drano into the shower. I thought our problem was solved. But the sewage came back up. Eventually, I called a plumber, and he found the problem not in our shower but in the backyard: Some aggressive tree roots had invaded the sewer line, causing a backup.

Every day, offensive thoughts, words, and actions bubble up out of our hearts. We try to mop up our behavior without dealing with the root issue: a heart that is not cultivated to love God fully and love others as ourselves. The good news is we can cooperate with God to transform the condition of our hearts and therefore the condition of our lives. That’s what God wants for us and from us: a changed heart that leads to a changed life.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “What God Desires from You” 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.