When I was in elementary school, it was common during recess for boys to gather into multiple groups and each of those groups might have a ball that would be tossed, passed, thrown, and hurled between each of the participants. Fairly regularly, a ball would escape the grasp of one group and fly towards another group. And when that happened there would be a resounding chorus (though rarely in sync) of “HEADS UP!” The warning was a universally understood cry to beware, to watch for danger.
Scripture has many similar cries and warnings. There is danger in the world that might harm the believer; he is to be watchful (think about the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus, Lk. 22:39ff). Much more frequent, though, are warnings to watch for dangers that lurk in our own hearts; those inner assaults will lead us away from fellowship with God (e.g., Prov. 4:23).
As Jesus exposed the foolish unbelief of the crowds that were following Him, he offered just such a warning in Luke 11:35 — “Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.” That is, it is possible to have the pretense of being in the light of Christ (a believer) while we are actually living in the darkness of unbelief. So Jesus says, “watch out, beware.” Be attentive. Watch your heart. It’s a call to self-examination.
Like the parable of the soils (8:4ff), Jesus is speaking about receptivity to the Word of God. Are you being attentive to the condition of your heart? Are you asking soul questions regularly? Is the light of God’s Word penetrating your heart? May I suggest a few questions? [Some of these are implications from Lk. 8:4ff, others from Lk. 11:29-36, and others taken or adapted from David Powlison’s X-Ray questions.]
- Am I a humble learner? Do I acknowledge sinful inclinations and submit and change? Do I intentionally meditate on it so that both my heart and actions are changed?
- Am I more enticed by the world than I delight in Christ’s instruction?
- Am I calloused by the Word and do I only see how it relates to others and not myself?
- What do I love and hate? What do those desires reveal about my heart?
- What do I fear? What do I not want? What do I tend to worry about?
- Where do I find refuge, safety, comfort, escape, pleasure, security?
- Whose coming into political power would make everything better?
- Whom must I please? Whose opinion of me is important? From whom do I desire approval and fear rejection? Whose value system do I measure myself against? Whose love and approval do I need?
- For what do I pray? What do I talk about the most?
- Where do I spend most of my time? My money?
- How am I interacting with my Bible, with what God has revealed to us?
- Do others see a change in me? What is my spiritual light like (Mt. 5:16)?
Heart work is hard work. And worthwhile work, as George Whitfield noted:
“My dear friends, let me beseech you to set a watch over yourselves; be careful that you do not run into that company which may tempt you to evil. For would a man run himself into danger on purpose: Would a man enter himself into that company, where, before he goes, he knows he shall be exposed to great temptations? Do not think that you will be able to stand in such a situation. Therefore, if you have any reason to think that the company you are going into will be a temptation, I beseech you by the mercies of God in Jesus Christ that you would not run into it.”
