You were running well. Who hindered you? Galatians 5:7
The second step in guarding your heart is to know yourself. Maybe you can remember a time when you were making good progress in the Christian life.
You had a heart for God. You found joy in Christ. Your love for the Savior burned brightly. You had passion for the advance of the gospel. You made real sacrifices. You faced difficulties with courage. You battled against deeply rooted sins in your life and you grew in holiness. But these things are no longer true of you.
Paul asked the church in Galatia, “Who hindered you?” In other words, “What happened to you? What stopped you? What are the weights that have slowed you down? What got in the way of your continued progress? What hindered you?”
This is the time to be ruthlessly honest with yourself. If you say, “I’m not really sure,” then ask God to show you your own heart. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me” (Psa. 139:23-24).
Talk it out with a Christian friend or with a pastor if you need to, but don’t settle without the answer. It’s too important. How can you deal with the problem if you don’t know what it is? And if you don’t deal with the impulses that tend towards secret, perpetual, and alarming departure from God, how are you going to persevere as a Christian?
Unfortunately, there are many Christians who study the Bible, but who hardly give their own hearts a second look, because they have never learned how to do this.
Is there a pastor or other trusted Christian friend you could talk to?
