One of the passages I read this past week caused me to think about the importance of how we live our lives and where our hearts are. The passage is found in Daniel 6:3. It says, “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

As I think about this passage, I realize that having an excellent spirit is what much of Christianity is about. It is about the heart. It is about having the spirit of Christ. It is about love for God and His Word.

Obedience is required, but obedience without the right attitude is worth nothing. This is true in our worship, and it is true in our daily lives.

Daniel had been taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar’s army. He, along with other young men of knowledge and ability, were taken to the king’s palace to be trained in the Chaldean language and in science and math. They were captives in a strange land, but they had been taught the laws of God. They never forgot who they were or what God’s will was. They excelled because they had the right spirit, and God was with them.

We see this same kind of example in the life of Joseph. He was taken captive and sold into slavery. He was tempted, thrown into prison, forgotten, and finally remembered. Through it all, he never forgot God.

What does that mean for us today? Do we ever have the wrong kind of spirit? What tries our spirit? What causes us to have heart problems?

I think one of the heart problems we all struggle with is forgiveness. When someone hurts us it is so hard to forgive.

Peter had the same heart problem. He didn’t understand about forgiveness. He thought if he was willing to forgive 7 times that was more than enough. Jesus told Peter that 7 times was not enough, but 70 times 7. Then Jesus used a story about an unforgiving servant to teach Peter a valuable lesson. The man in the story was forgiven by his master for owing 10,000 talents. This was equal to 15 years’ wages. This man then went out and threw a man in prison for owing him 100 pence, about $15.00. When the man unwilling to forgive was given over to the tormentors, Jesus said, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses”, Matthew 18:35.

Notice in this verse that Jesus said, “from your hearts.” If you can’t truly forgive from your heart, you have a heart problem!

Peter had another heart problem. He needed to learn to be humble. The mother of James and John had requested that her sons be allowed to sit on either side of Jesus in His kingdom. They thought Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom, and they wanted special places in that kingdom.

There was strife among the disciples as to which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). This is not surprising that a group of men closely associated with the Master would compete for “a position” in the earthly kingdom they thought He would set up.

Remember that Jesus often chose Peter, James, and John to take with Him in special situations. Remember that they were the ones present at the transfiguration (Matthew 17), at the healing of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37), and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37).

After this squabbling over who would be the greatest, Jesus needed to teach them a lesson, so He washed their feet. When He started to wash Peter’s feet, Peter stopped Him. Jesus said, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” John 13:8. Jesus wanted the disciples to be this way with each other.

We, too, need a spirit of humbleness. In speaking to elders in the church, Peter told them how they were to oversee the flock. He then talks to younger members, telling them to submit to older members. He also said, “Be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the might hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” I Peter 5:5-6.

Humility is a great cure for heart problems. It fits so well with the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Paul says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” With these characteristics, we won’t have spiritual heart problems. Instead, we will have an excellent spirit like Daniel.

Sandra Oliver