I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Ezekiel 36:26-27

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Have you ever heard that birth order can influence personality? Take a moment to think of the first-born children you know. You may think of them as dependable rule followers, while second-born children will often bend the rules or break them entirely. This stands true for my two children. 

My son is the oldest, and from as early as he could, he was a good listener and followed each rule carefully. Then, my daughter was born. From the time she was able, she showed us exactly what she wanted to do, with careless abandon to any rule we had. When they were toddlers, we had a safety gate surrounding the TV and the electronics. Occasionally, we would remove the gate and instruct the kids not to touch anything. Without fail, my son would put his arms up and say, “I’m not touching it!” While my daughter would toddle over to the entertainment center and say, “Don’t touch this?” pointing to the buttons on the stereo. “Yes, please don’t touch,” we would confirm. Getting a little closer, she would repeat, “This button right here?” “Yes, don’t touch it. You are getting too close.” Staring us right in the eyes, she would get even closer to the stereo, giving the big volume knob a little touch before laughing and running away. She has always kept us on our toes!

Like my young children, when I was young in my faith journey, I remember feeling I had to follow a set of rules to be a good Christ follower. As I grew in my faith, I realized I was missing the point. My faith wasn’t about following the “thou shall not” rules. It was much deeper than this. Whether I broke or followed the rules, His grace was always sufficient for me. He made sure I stayed on His intended path and walked alongside me no matter what. With my heart postured toward God, the Holy Spirit guided and empowered me to live out my faith. Leading with love and a new heart, I was no longer bound by the past or old ways of thinking. I was free to live in the fullness of God’s love and grace.

We can view Christianity as a rigid set of rules or moral guidelines, but at its core, Christianity is about our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The essence of the Christian faith is not about following rules but about experiencing a deep, personal transformation that starts from the inside out.

Next Steps

Take a moment today to reflect on areas of your life where your heart may have become hardened. Surrender those areas to God, and invite Him to give you a new heart and a renewed spirit. Trust that He is at work in you, transforming you from the inside out.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise of a new heart. I confess that sometimes my heart feels hardened, and I struggle to respond to You. But I know that You are a God who transforms. Remove any resistance or hardness in my heart, and replace it with a heart that is tender and responsive to Your voice. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, that I may live fully for You, reflecting Your love and grace in all I do. In Jesus’ name, amen.