A Test of the Heart

“Let  another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” - Proverbs 27:2

“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but a person is proved by the praise he receives.” - Proverbs 27:21

“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the LORD tests hearts.” - Proverbs 17:3

Reading these three verses side by side shows us that the Lord tests our hearts through praise. Specifically receiving praise from others. As I studied this out, it seemed to be presented in a pretty clear case. 

Don’t praise yourself - leave that to others. And when they do, recognize that the Lord is testing your heart so you may respond the right way. 

Let’s look at an example of this in the Old Testament.

“And the women  sang to one another as they celebrated,  “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but   the kingdom?” - 1 Samuel 18:7-8

Here, Saul is consumed with jealousy at the praise of David. If you continue reading in that story, you’ll see that Saul’s jealousy let to his torment and literally drove him mad. But how did David respond to this praise? Surely he heard it just as Saul had. But scripture doesn’t record any response. He was quiet. We next see David still playing his harp for Saul to help ease his torment. 

David’s response to praise was quiet. He continued to serve in the area he was given. He doesn’t let it puff him up and try to rise above his station, but he stays humble, and simply continues on serving the Lord in the area he was called.

“You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” - 1 Peter 1:6-7

The proper response to any test is to rejoice, giving glory and honor to Jesus. And this is not the only test that scripture tells us we will face. In my personal opinion, this may be one of the harder ones to endure because it doesn’t feel as hard. It’s not a test of patience that feels uncomfortable and frustrating. Nor is it a test of faith in the midst of unbelievers, being persecuted and abused on account of the gospel. This is a test that appeals to the pride of our flesh. 

It feels good to be praised. It invites the temptation of our flesh to take pride in the good things we’ve done. It can cause our mind to begin thinking, “I do deserve this.” Being praised tests our heart because it gives us a choice between recognizing Jesus as the source and power behind every good thing we do, or taking the credit for ourselves. 

To recap:
- Let others give you praise, don’t brag on yourself
- When they do, first recognize that the Lord is testing your heart
second, respond with quiet humility, giving praise to Jesus Christ

Now, I want to close with a warning. You may be tempted to read this and walk away with a determination to try harder to have the right response so you can “pass the test”. I understand that temptation all too well. But please hear the love in these words: that would be foolish. As humans, we do not have the power to change our hearts - only God can do that. So don’t try to take this on yourself, entrust it to the Lord.

“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” - Proverbs 27:19

One last nugget from Proverbs 27 shows us that the result of this test of the heart reveals what a person is truly like. Ponder this today, asking the Lord to search your heart, removing the impurities and leading you in the way of righteousness.