How well do you know your heart? How well do others? I believe most, if not all, keep much of their heart hidden from others. Why? We’re afraid that if they really knew us, they wouldn’t like us. In fact, there are things about us we don’t even like. 

Within all of us is a hidden part we keep secret. We store away our thoughts and fears. Sometimes it’s because we’re ashamed, or because we feel guilty. It’s not that someone told us we were guilty or that we should feel shame; we just do. To compound the problem, that hidden part sometimes controls everything we do. It tells us what to think and feel about situations and even about other people. We hide it from others because we’re convinced that if they really knew that part of us, we’d be rejected and abandoned.

Jesus spoke about the heart in Matthew 15:19 when he said, “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.” The potential is the same for everyone. From the same heart that evil comes from, good can also come. We might not realize it, but we can control our hearts and, consequently, what comes out of them. It starts with admitting what’s in them. Part of admitting that is aligning what’s in our hearts with what is true. We do this because who we are today is the culmination of everything we’ve been. Every event and every experience has been interpreted and stored within our hearts. But not every interpretation is correct or true. We can have many false interpretations and beliefs that keep us prisoners.

When Jesus talked about setting captives and prisoners free, what do you think he was referring to? Isn’t it about those held captive and imprisoned by their own hearts? Confession is nothing more than admitting what God already knows. He, above all others, knows the condition of your heart and all that is in it. Freedom starts with admitting where you are. Every journey begins with a starting point; it’s where you are that determines where you go next. Think about it.