Hebrews Part 1: Shallow ChristianitySýnishorn

Heart Check: Guard It, Don’t Harden It

Your heart is command central. It’s not just where you feel; it’s where you believe, decide, value, and live from. The Bible talks about your heart nearly 900 times because it’s the upstream source of everything else in your life. If your heart’s polluted, so is everything downstream: your relationships, your emotions, your decisions, and your direction.

That’s why Proverbs commands us to guard it with all vigilance. This isn’t passive protection; it’s active, daily warfare.

But there’s another warning: Don’t harden your heart.

When Pharaoh ruled Egypt, he ignored God’s voice over and over. Scripture says he hardened his heart and also that God hardened it. Which is it? It’s both. Pharaoh repeatedly resisted God’s grace until God eventually confirmed him in that rebellion. Like the Puritans said, “the same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay.”

God sent Moses to confront Pharaoh not once, but repeatedly, offering opportunity after opportunity to soften. Miracles, warnings, and consequences— Pharaoh saw it all and still said no. And every “no” built another layer of hardness until his heart was spiritual concrete.

The author of Hebrews and Paul in Romans remind us that we are not so different. We hear God’s Word. We sense the Spirit’s conviction. And still, some of us resist. Just like Pharaoh.

The truth is, God doesn’t owe us second chances. So, when He gives them, that’s grace. And when that grace confronts our sin, how we respond determines the direction of our hearts, either softer in surrender or harder in pride.

Is there any area of your life where you’ve stopped guarding your heart, resisted God’s voice, or allowed sin to harden you, and what’s one step you can take today to turn back and soften your heart before God?