I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
— Ezekiel 36:26
It’s amazing how our own minds can deceive us even when we know something isn’t true. Studies show that sugar pills, or placebos, can alleviate many symptoms if a sick person believes he is getting treatment. Current research reveals that 1 in 3 people find such medication to be helpful—even when they are told they are getting a placebo.
This illustrates that a belief can have power even when it isn’t true. If some of these people honestly believe that the placebo is an effective drug, then their minds are telling them the medicine is effective. And even when they are confronted with the reality that their beliefs are false, they still hold onto them!
People all over the world today are stuck in systems of false belief about God. And the problem is that even when they’re confronted about their beliefs, they hold onto them because they truly believe they’re working. This is why we can’t expect simple persuasion to work when it comes to bringing people to Christ—it has to be a work of the Spirit of God.
Don’t be discouraged if someone you’ve shared Christ with hasn’t responded in faith. Keep sharing, and pray that God would soften their heart to His gospel and bring them into eternal life through faith!
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to soften the hearts of those around you to His Word.
Questions for Thought
Who are some people you’ve known whose hearts have seemed to be hardened toward the gospel? Why do you think that is?
Who are some people in your life today with whom you can share the gospel and pray they’d have ears to hear it?