THE DECEPTIVE HEART

“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out
“Jeremiah 17:9. The Message

How the heart can become deceptive is one of the mysteries of life. But thankfully, we can decode this mystery and learn how to deal with it using the Word of God and the help from the Holy Spirit.

In Scripture, the word “heart” is used in six ways namely the physical form, the soul, the conscience, human nature, the centre of anything and the mind. It is the mind that is the focus of the deceptive heart series. Since the introduction of sin into the earth, the forces of good and evil have their influences upon our lives and it is a wise person that will take heed to learn how to navigate through life so as not to be influenced by evil.

Many Christians have a lack of knowledge and understanding about the heart and its influence in their lives. The significant role the mind plays in our relationship with God and each other was clearly stated by Jesus to his disciples “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” Mathew 22:37 -38 KJV

Therefore it is important that we have a full grasp of how the mind works in order to utilize it in the service of God rather than of self that leads to destructive behavior.

In this series, you will gain insight into the deceptive heart and how to guard against it. Then your decision making process will be enhanced and an understanding of your experiences in the light of such knowledge will be evident

The mind is the seat of a person’s thoughts, words and action and this is an experience that begins from within. It is your thoughts that informs the quality of your decisions. It is also the place where deception can take place if vigilance is not the watchword. Two scriptures aptly give a good description of this truth
“Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life” Proverbs 4:22 KJV.

 “ For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders….All these evil thought come from within and defile the man” Mark 7 : 21 KJV.
Three sources of thoughts flow through our minds regardless of our personalities. God, satan and worldview. The latter are thoughts that come from the opinion of people, books, personal observation etc. Unlike God’s thoughts, the worldview is most likely to be influenced by selfish interest, error and ignorance. While satan’s thoughts comes in the form of manipulation of God’s word and the events of our lives. Apostle Paul emphasized this truth

“But I fear lest some how as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” 2Corinthians 11:3 NKJV


God’s thoughts are pure – the good and perfect gift and this comes from the Scriptures and the guidance the Holy Spirit gives in specific situations.
“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

These thoughts are the best for us – the crème de la crème as it were. They are priceless, free and easily accessible from a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Our sensual experiences are too limiting to comprehend the thoughts of God by itself.

When we are disappointed, hurt, offended, feel cheated it is often easier to look for a scapegoat “I never knew so and so could behave this way:, why am I being unfairly treated?” why didn’t I see that things would turn out this way?”. We never stop to ponder how we got ourselves into such circumstances. Our senses and emotions lure us into placing the blame on others and giving ourselves a pass on judgment. But alas! Your heart has misled you into the action you took which didn’t appear so initially. No! No! No! You argue, I am not the deceived.I am the wise not the foolish; the educated not the illiterate; the achiever not the underperformer and so on as the clichés will allow. Wait a minute – pause; isn’t your experience telling you differently that what informed your decision making process was a product of your mind?

To illustrate this truth – here is a simple heart check. How many decision have you made with all confidence, certainty and sincerity that you were RIGHT and in comes the cold startling realization later that you were WRONG!! The hindsight factor starts to weigh in the reality of your decision and mindsets. If you are truthful (and I trust you should be), it is a lot. That is the reality of what informs the deception of the heart. This deception exacts a huge toll in our lives from the spiritual, financial, relational and sadly in death too. That is why you can’t afford to continue to believe that you know your heart better than God.

The plan of God for us is wonderful. It is one experienced from His insight and foresight. The revelation of God is a beautiful adventure beyond description. It is light in gross thick darkness; a generator when PHCN strikes; like water on a parched throat. It is cold water splash on a very hot day. Such has been my experience as I gain more spiritual insight in the matter of the heart. It finally clicked why God made the very shocking statement about our heart.

The heart is the seat of our will, emotion and actions. Left by itself, it can be a tool of deception. Without the rein of God’s Word, it can become an unruly horse that will throw you off so fast that you wouldn’t know what hit you. The heart can be a master of grand deception. Having understood and experienced this truth, I am often concerned at people who declare that they know what they are doing by themselves. Oh! How their heart has deceived them.

In dealing with the heart, be careful because your motives may often be wrong yet you are deceived to be in denial of the truth. In other cases, you may believe you have the right motives and intent, but you have acted in ignorance. This history of deception began in the Garden of Eden – a place of   spiritual and natural paradise that was poisoned with sin when Eve’s heart fell in a masterstroke of grand deception by satan. Imagine this scenario for a moment. You have a wonderful relationship with God, everything is perfect – nothing missing nor broken and suddenly sneaks in the temptation that you can get better by yourself because God is hiding more goodies from you.

Your heart starts analyzing whether this is true. You haven’t even given a thought to discuss the matter with God. You plunge into the decision that you can indeed be wiser than God in this matter. Well does this sound familiar … of course it does. It is not just the satan / Eve confrontation (read Genesis. 3: 1 -7), it is also the way we daily conduct our affairs without God’s input. The grand deception wasn’t satan’s temptation for that was only an offer but Eve’s decision to accept.

“When the woman saw that the tree looked good eating and realized what she would get out of it – she’d know everything! – She took and ate the fruit and gave some to her husband and he ate. Immediately the two of them did see what’s really going – saw themselves naked! Genesis 3: 6 -7. The Message

Once Eve ate the fruit that she thought would make her as wise as God, along with her husband, they realized they had been DECEIVED - they discovered the first consequence was not just a physical nakedness but spiritual too. God all along had been their COVER and they realized it in their fall. Today, this deceit has been passed down through the ages and when we discover the truth, we are exposed to our naked form – our ignorance, mistakes, and errors.


How then do we deal with the heart in order to serve God with it and make good judgments. Here are some principles to follow.

1.   Take personal responsibility for your actions. Don’t live the ‘blame game’ way. The goal is to learn how to live right.

2.   Recognize that by you, it is impossible to discern the thoughts of God from others. It is not a work of the senses but of the spirit and it is the Holy Spirit that can guide you to the truth on any matters. The deception of satan and the errors of the worldview are subtle.

   “There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death” Proverbs 16 : 25. Amplified.

     The ways of spiritual and sometimes physical death are error, ignorance and deception.

3.   Completely rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance even in the most insignificant things – they may turn out to be the “like foxes that spoil the vines”. God gave the task of revealing the truth for our benefit to the Holy Spirit because He knew we can’t handle it ourselves. So don’t be proud. Ask Him daily for guidance both in the little and big things. I have come to rely on the Holy Spirit for various matters ranging from wisdom to correcting  mistakes in cooking, choosing the right outfit ( He is the best style coordinator); finding missing objects to a life challenging decision on the choice of the right hospital for my surgery ( that was a life saver and a story for another day).

      Even in my law practice, He is my salvation. He has given me counsel that made impossible cases achievable. One such case in real estate saved my client from a 32 million naira fraud. A fraud that was difficult to uncover in all the due diligence we did. Even the seller was dumbfounded on how we uncovered his almost perfect false documentation. When I started out a Christian, I didn’t have a personal intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. But in the past five years, that has changed and I have taken new steps to continually grow in His guidance and friendship. I relate with him as a friend and frankly He is the ULTIMATE BEST FRIEND FOREVER (UBFF). He shares in my joy, grief, hurts, disappointments, every kind of challenge and SECRETS (Yes!! – you can’t get a more loving dedicated and sincere friend than the Holy Spirit). Treat Him as a living being rather than a religious icon which unfortunately many do. You will be amazed at your discovery. Start today He is already waiting for you.

4.   Wake up each day with a heart of gratitude for what you have (and you do have a lot if you take time to check) and what will yet be. Acknowledge before God that you are not the “I know it all” but a child, teachable and ready to learn. Be willing to make the adjustments as instructed. God guides our steps at a time.  The wisdom of God comes in many ways that will impress upon your heart the right thoughts about each matter. Thoughts precede your choice of words and actions. Your actions come from your thought pattern whether consciously or of the subconscious (habitual pattern of behaviour).

      Thus if you are cut off from the flow of life, you open yourself to wrong influences. Having a willing heart to learn and receive correction is the beginning of wisdom and its benefits. Solomon was brought up as an heir to the throne of David. He must have been tutored and studied on how to succeed as a king yet he recognized that all of the secular knowledge without the guidance of God would be ineffective and limiting. He went to God with a humbling prayer not carried away by his intellectual prowess. Solomon prayed and so should you.

     “Here’s what I want: Give me a God – listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people” 1 Kings 3: 9. The Message.

      God was delighted with Solomon’s prayer and replied”

      I’ll give you what you’ve asked for I’m giving you a wise and mature heart….”
1 Kings 3:12. The Message.

It is not complex or rocket science to experience this. I know this personally. All it takes is a sincere heart to be led by God in His will not as your sidekick to answer to your desires. You are the clay not the potter. You answer to God and not Him to you. If you walk in this order, you will be astonished at your new experiences. God is not far neither is His guidance. We are the ones who choose to go on a self righteous mode of “I know it all” and that is a wrong attitude towards God.

5.   There will be mistakes made on your learning journey but be ready to eat a lot of humble pies (for the only weight gain is priceless wisdom) it is a daily journey that is endless. You can’t learn enough to outgrow God. No graduation party to look forward to while on planet earth. God honours a repentant heart. You may initially not get it right away but in the calmness of your heart, it will quietly come upon you that you have missed the mark – that is the loving correction of the father. Hear and make adjustments. I have found out that with God, His correction is not to condemn but to restore. He wants our mind to be set right in order to act right.

6.   Many Christians do not discern the various thoughts that filter through their mind and are often quick to accept the first. But be vigilant. Often the loud thought is the deceptive one wanting to drown out the quiet still voice of the Holy Spirit that is heard in calmness.  Not all thoughts that seem good are in your best interest. Recall Jesus’ conversation with His disciples about His impending death and Peter’s quick response to the contrary. However good the intention, Jesus was not misled as to the source of those thoughts. “Get behind me satan …” Mathew 16:23 KJV

      Consider that Peter was wise to identify Jesus as the Messiah when other disciples were still struggling with the question yet in another breath; he was in error about the purpose of the Messiah. What does this show? – That you can never be so confident to think you can figure all things out.
      “For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (Which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thoughts and deed) and seeking to establish righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God’s righteousness”. Romans 10:3. Amplified.
     
      Jesus was aware of who had infiltrated Peter’s mind. So would you, regardless of what form such deception takes when you are guided by the Holy Spirit to the truth as Jesus was.

      Guidance is continuous. It is not a one –off affair nor one that is dependent on mood swings. It is a deliberate decision to be led accurately always. God’s guidance while of a spiritual nature is practical. It is active and not of a passive kind – “faith without work is dead”. It does not contradict the scriptures (which in themselves are not subject to intellectual reasoning) nor the personality and character of God.

      Too often Christians import worldly (ungodly) views that are contradictory to the scriptures hoping that somehow they will slip by the consequences. For example the scripture is clear that God created Adam and Eve and not Adam and Steve nor Eve and Eva. Yet some Christians accept homosexuality as a way of life. Others flaunt fornication as a fashionable lifestyle. These are some of the ways that the unguided mind has been misled. Many of such errors are seen in personal choices that are made in marriage, parenting, financial, spiritual and other aspects of life.

      In making the right decisions, two essential points were emphasized by Jesus

      “Be careful therefore how you listen …” Luke 8:18 Amplified
      “And He said to them” Be careful what you are hearing…” Mark 4:24 Amplified.

      It is important to know what to give attention to and what to discard because all things are not always helpful or wholesome (for our relationship with God) as well as the effective way to listen and discern the truth. These choices affect the mind and ultimately your thought and action.

      Prayer is a key component for spiritual development leading to a fully grounded and fulfilled life. Man is a spirit being with a soul encased in a physical body. When your spirit is in alignment with God, everything falls into place and the restoration to the peace of Eden before the fall becomes your experience. That is the essence of the gospel – our salvation. Some prayers to get you started – read the scriptures first.

a.   Mark 4:22 – Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the hidden errors, deception and ignorance in your life

b.   Pray for such revelation of truth in your various relationships – business, marital, friendships etc.
c.   Pray for the revelation of truth about any issue regarding the decisions you have to make
d.   John 16:13 – Pray for guidance in your choice of thoughts, words and action.

Finally, the ultimate choice lies with you as to how to make your decisions but as
 “You sow, so also shall you reap for God is not mocked”. God’s guidance is a 24/7 hotline without fail. USE IT ALWAYS and not only in EMERGENCIES