“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”
There are many great truths in this short verse. One that is certainly prominent throughout the Bible, though not necessarily forefront in this passage, is that God is the one who ultimately tests our hearts. In fact, He is the only one who has the ability to test our hearts. We do not possess the ability or wisdom to fully test our own hearts. Those who believe they can know their own hearts are both deceived and dangerous. Dangerous because they may act on that assumption and bring their flawed perspective into their interactions with others, thereby operating contrary to the design of our Father. Allowing God to test our hearts and reveal our brokenness and flaws is vital to growing into our Christ-like selves. Even more critical is recognizing that we can never fully know another person’s heart. Therefore, it is best to accept them as they are, avoid what they offer that is inconsistent with God’s revealed plan for us, and leave the writing of their story to God. Then, we should simply love others as they are and allow grace to determine what and when change is needed in their lives. Today, be kind and let God be God. #BeTheEdge
“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” Romans 14:4 NIV
