Heart Reform

Talk to ten people near an election day and at least eight of them will tell you the government needs reform in some area or another. Candidates themselves speak of their goals for change and what their administration will do for the people: healthcare reform, tax reform, welfare reform, reform of the public education system, economic reform. And the list goes on and on.

As Christians there is another type of reform that is infinitely more important than reform on social and political issues, but is talked about in public arenas far less. It is personal reform. While governments exist to play an integral role in the development of societies, they can never alone be the cause of change within people’s lives on an individual level. Change begins from within individual people and extends to the culture around them. One person said, “Be the change you want to see in others.”

Recently I was driving to work on Route 22 toward Harrisburg early in the morning before the sun had even begun to bring about the dusk. It’s amazing how another driver on the road can quickly knock the morning slumber out of your eyes – especially when they tick you off.

I was happily sailing down the road in the passing lane just a few modest miles per hour above the speed limit when I came upon a car riding in the passing lane just barely reaching the speed limit. Next to him was another car going just fast enough to keep up with the bumper of this car in the left lane. In Pennsylvania we have a law that says drivers must “keep right, pass left.” So as I came up on the car riding in the passing lane, instantly I became annoyed. How could this driver be so obviously ignorant of the rules of the road and of all the drivers around him? The nerve! Doesn’t this driver realize that some people like to drive as fast as possible to get to work on time – er, uh – as early as possible? (Not realizing that I too was riding in the passing lane, only faster.)

As I sped up and cut in front of the vehicle in the right lane and also passing the “left lane rider,” just narrowly fitting in the gap between these two cars, the Holy Spirit instantly shined something like a spotlight right into my heart and I became convicted. I realized that the impatience and unjustified anger I felt toward another person whom I have never even met is sin.

That’s when I realized I need heart reform. My heart is so wicked that something as small as an unknown driver occupying a space on the road that I believe should be my lane of traffic can set off sin within my heart. Ironically I had been in prayer up until that incident that morning, and my lack of patience and discernment not only caused me to give in to an attitude of pride, but also caused me to make an aggressive driving maneuver which could have endangered myself and others on the road.

As I drove on to work I began to reflect on the true nature of the heart. Although we love to think of ourselves as being overall good at heart, the Bible actually says that the heart is “desperately wicked.” I began to pray, “Lord, please give me heart reform.”

In what ways do you need to experience heart reform? What events in your life have revealed the sin in your heart? Have you offered those areas to the Father for Him to have His way?