What is in your heart?

At the "Celebration of Real Beauty" event that I went to recently, Tara Starling spoke about using makeup as a tool instead of a mask.  She compared it to using a hammer to build or tear down a house.  The hammer is used the same way for both tasks, even the motion is the same; the only difference is the intent - or what is in your heart.  So many things apply to that.  When you give a gift what is your intent, to make someone happy or to look good?  When you invite someone to go with you what is your intent to make them happy, to make you happy (both:), to fulfill an assignment?  When you smile at someone, is it because they have broccoli in their teeth, or because you want to help them feel happy? It is all in the heart; which is a big reason why we our eternally judged on what is in our heart.  Sometimes I have to go through the motions and do something because I know it is the right thing to do, but I know that if I persist my heart will change and I will be able to do it for the right reasons!!:)  Sometimes I do things for the wrong reasons.  Sometimes I do things for the right reasons!:)

My DH and I recently finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo and we decided that a lot of that book is based on his heart.   Why he did the things he did was often to help him get revenge, his heart wasn't in the right place and the repercussions of that was that he wasn't happy.  Even though he did exactly what he wanted to do, he wasn't happy.

So I suggest that when we do things for the right reasons, or at least try to do them for the right reasons we will be happy.  And not the artificial happiness, but the real true Godly happiness!:)  Sometimes it might just be for a fleeting moment that you can feel that happiness, but it does happen!:)  I can't judge what is in your heart.  I can only judge what is in my heart (and I can judge fictional characters, because they are fictional and might help me better analyze my own motives!!:).  But I challenge you to look into your heart and figure out why you do the things you do.