If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!
Proverbs 11:27
Left to its own devices, our hearts “search for evil” far too easily. A little white lie here, a bit of cheating there, and some harmless gossip just between friends may not feel like evil. But if we aren’t searching for good, intentionally seeking the goodness of God, our hearts will run toward all the wrong things in the blink of an eye. Our culture tells us to look inward to find what we need. But Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked." Looking for good in something that is deceitful and wicked will certainly not lead to favor. If we are looking inward, we are not looking to God, and if we’re not looking to God, we’re not searching for good!
We have all heard the phrase “What goes around, comes around”, which essentially means that we get what we give. Our evil actions have consequences and will eventually be dealt with. But those evil actions are never the beginning of the process. Mahatma Gandhi knew a great deal about human nature and that what we do begins with what we believe and how we think. “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”
Constantly looking inward will not only cause you to miss out on the blessings of loving and serving others, but it is also “searching for evil” and will negatively shape your destiny. Instead of looking inward, look up to Jesus, the Source of all goodness. Look out at ways you can love and serve others by stepping outside of yourself. And look to your Bible, where you will find the heart of God Himself—all the good you will ever need! If you are looking inward, you are not looking to God, and if you’re not looking to God, you’re not searching for good! Your beliefs will line up with your destiny when your heart is surrendered to Jesus. Only He can take something wicked and make it beautiful! You are loved!