What Jesus Said About What Is Really Going On Inside Our Hearts
Scripture: Mark 7:21–22 (NIV)
Have you ever looked at a situation and thought, “That is the problem right there”?
Maybe someone has an attitude. Maybe they are always arguing. Maybe they lie, steal, gossip, or treat people badly. We can easily look at what someone does and say, “That is their problem.”
But Jesus takes us deeper.
In Mark 7, Jesus teaches something that can be uncomfortable but incredibly important: the deepest problem is not always what is happening around us. Sometimes the deeper problem is what is happening inside us.
And that means the heart matters.
The Problem Beneath the Problem
Imagine seeing a beautiful house with a small water stain on the ceiling.
You could paint over the stain and make it look better.
But if a pipe is leaking above the ceiling, the stain will eventually come back.
Why?
Because you treated the symptom, but you did not fix the source.
Our hearts can be like that.
We may try to fix our behavior without allowing God to deal with what is happening inside us.
We might say:
“I just have an attitude.”
“I only told one little lie.”
“Everybody gossips.”
“I was angry because they deserved it.”
“I can’t help being jealous.”
“That’s just the way I am.”
But Jesus does not simply look at the outside.
Jesus looks at the heart.
What Comes Out of Us Reveals What Is Inside Us
Jesus said that evil thoughts and sinful behaviors come “from within, out of a person’s heart.”
That is powerful.
It means our words and actions can reveal what we have allowed to grow inside us.
A person can smile on the outside while carrying bitterness on the inside.
Someone can look successful while secretly being controlled by greed.
Someone can attend church while holding unforgiveness in their heart.
Someone can say, “God bless you,” and then turn around and tear another person down.
That is why Jesus was not interested in simply making people look good on the outside.
He wanted to change them from the inside out.
Sin Is More Than “Doing Bad Things”
Sometimes we think sin is only the big things.
Murder.
Stealing.
Adultery.
Drugs.
But Jesus also mentioned things like greed, deceit, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.
That should make all of us stop and examine ourselves.
Why?
Because it is possible to condemn someone else’s sin while ignoring the sin growing in our own heart.
The Heart Can Become a Battlefield
The heart is where thoughts, desires, attitudes, and intentions can begin.
A thought may enter your mind, but you don’t have to entertain it.
Anger may rise, but you don’t have to feed it.
Jealousy may knock on the door, but you don’t have to invite it inside.
Temptation may come, but temptation itself is not the same thing as choosing to sin.
This is why Scripture tells us in Proverbs 4:23:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
What are you allowing into your heart?
What are you watching?
What are you listening to?
Who are you allowing to influence you?
What thoughts are you constantly repeating?
What conversations are shaping your attitude?
These questions matter because what we continually feed can eventually become what controls us.
The World Says, “Follow Your Heart”
You may have heard someone say, “Just follow your heart.”
It sounds good.
But the Bible gives us a warning.
Jeremiah 17:9 says:
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
The Bible does not tell us to blindly follow everything our heart wants.
Instead, God calls us to surrender our hearts to Him.
There is a difference.
Following your heart says, “Whatever I feel must be right.”
Following God says, “Lord, if what I feel is wrong, change me.”
That is where spiritual maturity begins.
God Is Not Trying to Shame You
When Jesus exposes the deeper problem, He is not trying to make us feel hopeless.
He is showing us where we need Him.
Think about a doctor.
If a doctor discovers a serious problem during an examination, the doctor doesn’t hide it just to make the patient feel better.
The truth may hurt, but knowing the truth gives the patient an opportunity to receive help.
Jesus does something similar with our hearts.
He tells us the truth because He loves us enough to save us.
Romans 5:8 says:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus doesn’t say, “Clean yourself up, and then come to Me.”
He calls us to come to Him so that He can transform us.
You Can’t Fix a Heart With Makeup
You can change your clothes.
Change your hairstyle.
Change your job.
Move to another city.
Make more money.
Get a new relationship.
Delete social media.
But none of those things can permanently change a sinful heart.
You can change your surroundings without changing yourself.
You can change your appearance without changing your character.
You can change your circumstances without changing your heart.
The deeper problem requires a deeper solution.
And that solution is Jesus Christ.
God Wants to Give Us a New Heart
The beautiful thing about God is that He doesn’t just tell us what is wrong.
He offers transformation.
Ezekiel 36:26 says:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.”
That’s God’s desire.
Not simply to make you look religious.
Not simply to make you behave better when people are watching.
But to transform who you are when nobody is watching.
That is real change.
What About Children?
Even children can understand this truth.
If a child hits another child out of anger, the parent may correct the behavior.
But there is also a deeper question:
“Why were you so angry that you wanted to hurt someone?”
The child needs to learn more than “Don’t hit.”
They need to learn how to deal with anger, forgive, communicate, and make Godly choices.
The same principle applies to adults.
God doesn’t just want to change what our hands do.
He wants to transform what our hearts desire.
Ask God to Search Your Heart
Psalm 139:23–24 gives us a beautiful prayer:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
That is a courageous prayer.
It says:
“God, show me ME.”
Not:
“Show me what’s wrong with everybody else.”
The Truth We Don’t Always Want to Hear
Here is the uncomfortable truth:
People can hurt us, but we are still responsible for how we respond.
Someone may mistreat you.
Someone may betray you.
Someone may lie about you.
But their actions do not permit us to become what we hate.
You don’t have to answer hatred with hatred.
You don’t have to answer gossip with gossip.
You don’t have to answer anger with anger.
You don’t have to become bitter because someone else was bitter.
Jesus can help us respond differently.
Romans 12:21 says:
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
That is powerful.
Deeply Rooted in Christ,
Nishia
🙏🕊
