Blessed are the Pure of Heart

by Rich Phenow, Pastor of Congregational Care

The pure in heart are not those with a perfect heart, but those whose heart is free of shame, unworthiness, and guilt. I think first of the children, students, and adults with special needs who participate in our Tapestry and Mosaic ministries—they give and receive a pure love so freely. The pure heart is a heart that is freed up to see God. Not to actually see the face of God, like the Apostle Paul talks about, but to see the work of God in our lives. The clearer our hearts are—free of our own needs, wants, and desires; free of our own self-centered need for approval—the more alert we are to God revealing His love for us.

God is not interested in our outward appearance. He is most interested in our hearts, and the one thing that cleans up our broken, sin-filled hearts is to recognize our need for Jesus and what He did on the cross, to honestly confess what we’ve done wrong and ask for His forgiveness. When we experience that freedom—when our hearts are unencumbered with sin, and are made pure by Christ’s sacrifice for us—we then can know God more clearly and love others more abundantly.