Abundance In The Bush - Country Devotions PART 2Sample

Hard Hearts

Leather work boots get dry, dusty, cracked, scratched, scuffed, soaked, caked in mud. If you don’t condition them… well, you’ve heard the saying, “tough as old boot leather.” Our hearts can get pretty tough too. Like neglected leather, a heart can become insensitive, calloused and inflexible, even in a Christian. We can get too big for our boots and get to thinking that we are better than another person. We might have critical and judgmental thoughts, easily finding fault, no longer seeing good things in a person, surprised when others do. Given the chance, we would gladly sink the boot in. But the complaints we hold against a brother or sister, Jesus does not. Jesus’ blood has made them holy. No matter what we see as their shortcomings, Jesus has washed them clean. And God treats everyone alike.

How do we give our wrong attitudes the boot and regain a conditioned heart? How do we come to value a person again? Instead of focusing on their shortcomings, focus on what God sees - that person has the righteousness of Christ. They struggle in their flesh, as we all do, but in their spirit they are perfect. Isn’t that the way we would like others to see us? Do we want another Christian looking at us, weighing us up and considering our deficiencies? You can bet your boots the answer is “No”. Neither should we allow pride to harden our hearts towards a brother or sister in Christ.

Lord, I ask Your forgiveness for my hard heart towards …………... Thank You that everything they need to be holy, You have done for them, just as You have done for me. Amen.