READ: Ephesians 4:29-32
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” – Hebrews 12:15
When the content of the human heart is contaminated, the contamination is pumped out to affect the entire body. Likewise, when the spiritual heart is polluted with any form of evil, this defilement is pumped to the rest of the body.
Bitterness is a good example of something evil that can enter the heart. It is easy to see a person whose heart is filled with bitterness and unforgiveness. His heart pumps out that bitterness into the rest of his ministry and this is evident to the discerning eye. When he speaks, you sense the bitterness. When he preaches it just comes out. Be careful of what you allow to enter your heart.
The human heart gets sick when it has a high fat diet. This shows us that the heart of a pastor gets sick when he receives too many messages on riches. The Body of Christ has developed heart problems through the abundance of prosperity teachings.
The human heart is more prone to disease in a body that gets little exercise. This truth shows us how the spiritual heart gets sick when it has received a lot of good feeding of the Word but has not put it into practice. Likewise, the spiritual heart is more prone to disease in a person with little chance to practise what he knows. The lack of missionary work, a lack of evangelism and a lack of outreach have caused heart problems in the body of Christ.