I’ve been posting lately about how we should be showing our love for God. I just finished talking about loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Now I want to look a little deeper into our hearts.

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 86:11 NIV

If you remember from one of my recent posts, it’s the direction of your heart that sets the direction of your life. So often we want God to move in our situation, and yet we’re pointing the wrong way.

I need an undivided heart toward the Lord. I need a heart that isn’t trying to go in two directions at the same time. It’s exhausting trying to live for God while running after other things.

In Scripture there are three things competing for your love. First of all, there are things competing for your worship. God told Israel that there would be those who would try to get them to worship other gods.

…you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 13:3 NIV

God was not sending these false prophets to tempt Israel. But, He would use them as a test to see what was in the hearts of the Israelites.

This testing happens in every love relationship. Every choice that comes before us is a test.

In a marriage there’s sometimes a choice. Do you want to spend time watching the game or spending time with your wife.

“She doesn’t really care if I watch the game.”

That might be true. Or, maybe you’ve failed the test so often, that now it’s a moot point.

God already knows what’s in your heart. But the proof of it comes out in your choices.

David understood this truth.

Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.

Psalm 26:2-3 NIV

He’s literally asking the Lord to test and examine his heart. That’s a dangerous prayer. How many of us would be willing to go before God with that request?

The Bible is very clear on what the areas of testing are that the Lord looks at. These next verses talk about what some “church people” will be like in the last days (which is right now!).

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…

2 Timothy 3:2-4 NIV

That last phrase is the most telling of our generation in the church. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Pleasure is simply feeling good. We’re looking for whatever makes us feel good.

To truly show my love for the Lord, I must love God more than pleasure. That’s a big test. Are you a better friend to feeling good than to God? How much time do you spend trying to feel good? How much time do you spend pursuing God’s best?

If pleasure replaces God, something’s wrong. If you’re in that condition, then some priorities need to change. We need to examine ourselves regularly to make sure we’re on track.

Question: How does your life rate seeking pleasure versus seeking God?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi