July 25th, 2020: A Pure Hear, A Sincere Faith and A Good Conscience

 Pure Heart
I took some time off this week to meditate on the question: "Is my heart discriminating some people who happen to cross my path of life?" I need to examine the condition of my own heart. I am far from being free from subtle prejudice in my ways of dealing with people, and I am aware of my irritation while interacting with some people. Can my inability to care freely be the foundation of racism? Can my personal preference be viewed as an expression of racism? These are the types of questions I decided to explore when I spent time in meditation this week.

This specific verse in the Bible will be helpful to reflect on while trying to discern our own heart (1 Timothy 1: 5):

"The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

A pure heart: God desires to live in it. It is a heart that free from conceit. It will reflect our knowledge of God. When our heart becomes pure,  it will be able to the light that shines in the darkness. It will inspire others towards godliness. It will long for correction, but not damnation. It brings comfort when our mind is confused. It sets us free from the limitation of our intellect. It longs for alignment with the heart of God. It helps to seek God when we want to go in the opposite direction.

A good conscience: Conscience is the moral image of God. It guides the desire of our hearts, speaks the truth. It embraces the beauty of God in the reasoning. It will not back away from the threat of manipulation and falsehood. It will not tolerate injustice, a pathway to express respect, kindness, and acceptance. It is foundational for making the right choices, enlightens our emotional awareness. It helps us in our development of rational thinking.

A sincere faith: it expresses our trust in God. It does not always require proof. It is the kind of faith that will grant us rest in times of turmoil. It will help us to extend the grace that goes beyond our understanding. It carries many aspects of mercy. It will help us to receive from God when we are so proud in our own way. It will help us to be confident in God when nothing else is going right for us. It helps us to trust God when we cannot see things.

My conclusion is that I still have a lot of work ahead in all areas as I think about the condition of my own heart, the nature of my conscience, and the essence of my faith.

 

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