Jesus always had his heart aligned with the will of God and his actions with his heart. He lived a perfectly synchronized life and thereby provided an excellent example for his disciples. Confronting the hypocritical Pharisees and Scribes, Jesus quoted from Isaiah – “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me” (Mark 7:6). They were obsessively concerned with their religious appearance and actions with the intent of impressing people, but their hearts were not aligned with the will of God.

Many people participate in addiction rehabs, outpatient programs, and narcotics anonymous or alcoholics anonymous meetings because they have been forced by the courts or coerced by the emotional blackmail of their loved ones. The probability of success for these people is slim at best because their involvement is not a freewill choice from their own heart. Their actions are not aligned with their heart. Jesus, time and again, tells us to serve our fellow man lovingly with the right godly heart (Matthew 6:1-4).

In the same chapter, Jesus instructed us to have the right heart behind prayer and fasting. If we serve for the approval or acceptance of others in order to validate ourselves, then our works are not acceptable to God, nor will He reward our deeds. People are commonly involved in human services such as nursing, counseling, ministry, and such like because of the wounds within their own souls. Serving others makes the wounded feel temporarily better about themselves. However, such service is also the cause of much pain because people often do not respond the way the server anticipates. If when we serve others we feel important, valued, significant, indispensable, or rejected, unimportant, unappreciated, or insignificant, our motives may not be aligned with the love of God.

The first step to the synchronization of a godly life is to have the right heart. Since (according Jeremiah 17:9) the human heart “is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked,” we need God’s help to change our heart. God can and will work with our heart if we ask for His help.

Psalm 10:17 – O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear.

Psalm 27:14 – Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 73:26 – My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Both prayers in Ephesians refer to the heart: “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” and “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith….” Along with prayers meditation of God’s Word is necessary to change the heart.

Psalm 119:11 – Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Once your heart is aligned with God’s will, we act accordingly. Thinking about loving others and only having good intentions are not enough.

1 John 3:17-18 – But whoever has the world’s goods. And sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.