Heart Conditions: Fat Hearts

They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths, they speak proudly.

Psalm 17:10 (NKJV)

Their heart is as fat as grease.

Psalm 119:70 (NKJV)

'For among My people are found wicked men;
They lie in wait as one who sets snares;
They set a trap;
They catch men.
As a cage is full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
They have grown fat, they are sleek;
Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord.
'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
An astonishing and horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?'

Jeremiah 5:26-31 (NKJV)

Fat around the heart can be dangerous. Doctors call it pericardial fat, and it's linked to heart disease,  even death! But…

Spiritual fat is MORE dangerous. God calls it heart fat (linked to a fat life.) The result? At best, divine punishment. At worst, death.

The majority of Americans live what most of the world calls ‘a fat life.’ We’re glutted with every kind of pleasure, including:

  • Amusements galore!

  • Food in abundance!

  • Stuff overflowing!

  • Super-size churches!

  • Sensory delights!

  • Idols everywhere!

  • Smartphones everywhere!

  • Nice cars everywhere!

  • Cheap thrills everywhere!

This fat’s not about our full-figured shape. It IS about our roly-poly hearts: hearts called to be filled with the strength of Christ!

God calls fat-hearted preachers false prophets: They’re fat in their hearts, but sleek in their words, and 'They surpass the deeds of the wicked.'

So before we get on our high horses, parading our wealth for the world to see, maybe we should choose to ride… a donkey.

And before we try correct the world for its excesses of all kinds of sin, maybe we should fix our own excesses.

I encourage all Christians to ask God whether you (or your church) have this hidden (but clearly dangerous) heart condition. 

  • If you do? Go on a diet TODAY!

  • Eat unlimited amounts of God's Word.

  • But at the same time, severely restrict…

  • The swallowing of tasty, manmade lies.

  • How can you know lies? Look for a 'fat life.'

The Apostle Paul says: 'I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified' (1 Corinthians 9:27).*

Inarguably, Paul's evangelism is built around a 'non-greasy' lifestyle.

Heart Conditions: Fat Hearts (Part 4)

* Read the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 9 to see that Paul is not talking about his body, but his lifestyle. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%209&version=NKJV

NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban