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Is Your Heart Right?
“Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God . . . Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more” (Job 11:13, 15-16 GNT, emphasis added).
The Book of Job is a 42-chapter book in the Bible that explores the theme of unmerited suffering and how to trust in God during difficult times. The book is named after its main character, Job, who is the subject of a wager between God and Satan about how much he can suffer while remaining loyal to God.
During Job’s continuing suffering, his friends tell him how to get rid of painful memories and move on with his life. They say, “Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God . . . Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more” (Job 11:13, 15-16, emphasis added).
A key phrase of this Scripture is to “put your heart right.” So, what does that mean and what does that actually look like in practice? Please notice the emphasis is on “your heart.” We have no control over the heart of others and sometimes are forced to deal with unpleasant situations that we did not create. The key at such times is to control what we can control – our own heart. It is imperative to do the right thing when those around us are insistent on doing the wrong thing. For example, it is always the right thing to forgive those that hurt us. This helps us to put our heart right. Of course, we should remove ourselves from dangerous situations and forgiving does not mean we forget the offense or else we run the risk of suffering the same fate again.
Once our heart is right, we should reach out to God and invite Jesus into every room in the house of our heart. Often, we’ve invited him into the front room (by accepting Jesus as our Savior) but not the entire house of our heart. Psalm 51:10 reads, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” A clean heart and right spirit open the door to all the rooms in the house of our heart. As the Spirit fills our heart with His love, mercy, and grace we are better able to focus on Him and not the adversity of today. This is the key to claiming the peace that transcends all understanding.
Finally, it is important to remember that life is to be lived today. Today is indeed the day that the Lord has made, and we will indeed be happy and rejoice in it. We do not hide in bed or withdraw from society to avoid any additional pain. Instead, we get back to living and move forward. This can take time, but there is life on the other side of adversity. Go (re)read the book of Job to see my point.
Your past is not your present or future. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, who you’ve done it with, or how long you’ve done it. Throughout Scripture, God forgives murderers, adulterers, and slackers, and he uses them to do His work in the world. Hebrews 11 is a great example of this.
You and I both have a great future ahead of us. Please join me by daily putting our hearts right, reaching out to God, and facing the world again. God will heal the wounds of the past, give us peace in the present, and has already prepared a blessed future for us. He did this for Job and can do it for you too!
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the story of Job. Send your Holy Spirit to us to reveal all the sin that separates us from you. Help us to repent of the sin that clings so tightly and turn to You. Create in us a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within us. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Certified Lay Minister and Men’s Ministry Specialist through Francis Asbury Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Country Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a contributor to Project XII and Baton Rouge Parents Magazine. He is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Additionally, he’s the author of the inspiring book “Fathering A Special Needs Child.” Todd also enjoys filling the pulpit to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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