).png)
Our heart and how we deal with it play a significant role on how we live out our lives for Christ. It's from our heart that all things that we do flow from and where we process all things that come in. Thus, it’s important that our heart is in right standing with God and protected from the hardening caused by sin. God’s Word warns us against the hardening of the heart, which causes us to become insensitive to the move of God and show compassion for others. God promises to give us a “heart of flesh” when His Holy Spirit comes into us. When a person is filled with pride they are weighed down with self: self–centered, self–perseverance, self–worth. All these self–titles sum up the key focus is always on, ME, ME, ME! When individuals become “full of themselves”, they also become “dull to the things of God”, in addition to becoming blind to the “warning signs”, which are the deceptive snares and traps of the enemy. At this point they are standing on dangerous and shaking ground that can delay, distract and hinder their purpose. To better understand the causes and solutions for a hardened heart, it’s important to understand the broad biblical meaning of the word “heart.” The Bible considers the heart to be the hub of human personality, producing the things we would ordinarily ascribe to the “mind.” It’s easy to see how a hardened heart can dull a person’s ability to perceive and understand. Anyone’s heart can harden, even faithful Christians’. Sin causes hearts to grow hard, especially continual and unrepentant sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV). Your hardened heart is not only stopping the flow of God’s relationship, but your dreams, and happiness. However, if we don’t confess our sins, they have a cumulative and desensitizing effect on the conscience, making it difficult to even distinguish right from wrong.
And this sinful and hardened heart is tantamount to the “seared conscience.” “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” 1Timothy 4:1–2 (NKJV).
Scripture makes it clear that if we relentlessly continue to engage in sin, there will come a time when God will give us over to our “debased mind” and let us have it our way. The apostle Paul writes about God’s wrath of abandonment in his letter to the Romans where we see that godless and wicked “men who suppress the truth” are eventually given over to the sinful desires of their hardened hearts. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” Romans 1:18–21 (NKJV).
Seven Signs of a Hardened Heart:
1. Bitterness makes one heart hardened because it keeps one holding on to past hurts, fears and
pains, because it refuses to allow self to move forward and see the lesson in every challenge,
struggle and trial. “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie
against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic”
James 3:14–15 (NKJV).
2. Fear makes one hear hardened because it
keeps you from walking by faith, rather
than sight, because of the fear of the
uncertain or unknown. “For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of
love and of a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7
(NKJV). Fear is connected causes one to
have a harden heart due to problems of lack
of confidence or trust, in which obstructs
one from freedom with Christ.
3. Helpless makes one heart hardened
because you feel defenseless and
vulnerable to life’s adversities
and complications. The longer you remain
hopeless, the longer you will suffer from a
hardened heart. “Happy is the man who is
always reverent, But he who hardens his
heart will fall into calamity” Proverbs 28:14 (NKJV).
4. Hopelessness makes one heart sadden because you feel uncertainty about your tomorrow and
your future plans. We are trying to fix all your problems and struggles yourself, without any help
from the Lord. Jeremiah 18:12 says, “But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow
our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.” When we
start feeling hopeless too often, it could be a sign that sin has hardened our hearts.
5. Lack of faith makes one heart hardened which is a condition of a callused heart. this is the perfect
time to take a self–examination so that you can be renewed in your heart and soul (mind). “I
would have lost heart, unless I had believed, That I would see the goodness of the Lord, In the land
of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I
say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14 (NKJV
6. Rebellion or Stubborn makes one heart
hardened because it displays criticalness or
disobedience towards God’s will for your
purpose. This could be refusing to follow the
direction or guidance of the Holy Spirit, obey
the Word of God of seek the Lord for counsel.
“But they refused to heed, shrugged their
shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they
could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like
flint, refusing to hear the law and the words
which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit
through the former prophets. Thus
great wrath came from the Lord of hosts”
Zechariah 7:11–12 (NKJV).
7. Worry makes one heart hardened because it becomes fretful and weary in well doing; it begins to stop feeling God's reassurance. This is the place where worry and anxiety start to overtake the heart. We lose our faith and trust in God because we can no longer feel His goodness and love even though it’s so evidently there. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6:25 27 (NKJV).
When you defend things that aren’t accepted by God or lifestyles that aren’t pleasing to His will, this is a sign of a hardened or wicked heart. Making excuses for sin and blaming others for unwillingness to obey the voice of the Lord, instead following after the old and deceptive nature of the old heart. God can heal any heart once we recognize our disobedience and repent of our sins. But true repentance is more than simply a resolute feeling of steadfast determination. Repentance manifests itself in a changed life.