In many places, the Bible warns people not to “harden” their hearts (Proverbs 28:14; Ezekiel 3:7; Mark 8:17; Hebrews 3:13). Hardening our hearts means stubbornly setting ourselves against God so that we are no longer able to turn to him for forgiveness. We harden our hearts when we habitually disobey the word of God and choose our own desires instead.
What causes hardening of the heart? The deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13) seduces us away from taking pleasure in the goodness of God to finding pleasures outside of God’s will. Lack of gratitude for God’s grace makes us callous and indifferent. Doubt and fear can make us lax and unresponsive to God’s leadership. Any time we close our minds to the word of God and shut out the influence of his Holy Spirit, we are in danger of hardening our hearts. Look for signs of hardening, and turn back to God. Ask him to keep you “soft” and receptive.
