Ever been asked, “Why did you do that?!” There is a better answer than, “I don’t know!” Some explain it as… “The heart wants what the heart wants.” Tim Keller suggests…
“What the heart trusts, the mind justifies, the emotions desire, and the will carries out. Everything follows the heart.”
Everything we do does spring from the heart. The mind, emotions, and will follow it. If the heart is right, so will be the mind and actions. If the heart is evil, there is no hope. We cannot control the heart, only God can. Consider…
Jer 24:7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
Jer 32:38 They shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
Ezek 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My rules and obey them.
Ezek 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
There is a progression that takes place inside us every time we say or do anything, even though it might be immeasurably short. Heart… mind… emotions… will… ACTION. This order cannot be subverted as it has been determined by God. Thus… in our hopes of transforming society, families, government, or anyone… we must address the seat of it all… the human heart.
It then follows that programs, seminars, initiatives, and laws will forever fall short of bringing about substantive change since none of those things change the heart. Instead Christians are to pray for God to do what only He can do… change people’s hearts (Jer 24:7, 32:38-39; Ez 11:19-20, 36:26-27 above).