”Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.” (Proverbs 21:2)

Humans are amazing creatures. With our hands, we can build. With our minds, we can invent. With our mouths, we can communicate. And with our hearts, we can deceive ourselves.

This is a major reason we rejoice in the cross of Jesus Christ. Through His blood and sacrifice, we are saved, redeemed by God. In that redemption, there is hope, hope that our hearts will be changed. Since a remnant of that old, deceptive heart remains in us, we must look to God for the transformation we need. By His grace, He will correct our course if we allow Him. Here are a handful of ways to allow Him room to weigh, as the Proverb states, your heart.

1 In your daily post. I don’t mean the newspaper, but a daily and set time of Scripture reading and prayer. Here, the Commander of the army of the Lord will often speak. His word will confront motivations and give clear direction to the heart in need.

2 In fellowship with Him. Throughout the day, He wants friendship with you. If you turn to Him, even for just a moment, He will help you. Ask Him for strength when weak, wisdom when confused, and love when angry.

3 In friendship with other believers. Often, He will show us the weight of our hearts by showing us the lives of His devoted followers. By spending time with them, we learn. We discover the priorities and decisions and acts of consecration which have become their code for life. Our hearts, wonderfully, become exposed.

4 In research. “Research” is likely too strong a word, conjuring up images of term-papers and bibliographies and footnotes. I use the word, not to bring you to college, but to bring you to Christian learning. As we study, listen, and read, we learn. This learning is the heart of Christ, part of the way in which He can help us see the weight of our hearts.

5 In worship and praise. As we prayerfully sing and praise Him, as we truly celebrate Him and rejoice in who He is, our inner thoughts become clear to us. By soaking in His light, our hearts are illuminated.

6 In service of others. Nothing exposes our hearts quite like serving others. We talk of being servants for Christ, but the first time someone treats us like a servant we recoil. We might think of ourselves as selfless and generous, but true Christian service will help us discover the truth.

Remember, the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He can see — and weigh — every motivation, every thought. Our old nature longs to deceive us, to blind us, but, praise be to God, Christ has come to give sight to the blind!