A Calloused Heart

by Joanne Lowe

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26
King James Version

I have a callous on my finger which is very hard and sometimes when I accidentally brush it against something it hurts. However, as long as I keep putting hand lotion on it, I don’t even notice it because it is soft.

Many times because of all the judgmental and critical words and the things that hurt us, we allow our hearts to become hardened and callous to protect us from being hurt. It is then that we need to go to Jesus and ask Him to put His Soothing Lotion of Love and Compassion on our wounded hearts.

It is very painful at times to reveal what is in our hearts to someone else. Mostly, I think for fear of being rejected, judged and criticized. However, we must be honest with our families and friends. Any relationship should be built on honesty, love, and respect for one another.

Jesus could have allowed His Heart to become hardened and calloused while He was here on earth. He certainly has a reason to do so, and even today, he would be justified if He developed a calloused heart towards us. However, Jesus is Love and it is not His nature to have a hardened Heart. His Heart is soft like a pillow.

Dear friend, don’t allow your heart to become calloused with unforgiveness and bitterness. Put your heart in the Hands of Jesus and allow Him to soften your heart.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
— John 14:1