The Man Is a Reflection of the Heart

Ernest Lau
22 minutes ago
4 min read

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19 ESV)

The surface of the water projects the reflection of the face. Similarly, the man projects what’s in the heart. In other words, what we see in the man tells us what is in the heart. That is the lesson from Proverbs 27:19. What wisdom can we learn from this interesting proverb?

1. Can we see what’s in the heart?

a) Man sees the face; God sees the heart.

Sometimes, outward appearances can be deceiving. The prophet Samuel thought that David’s handsome brother must surely be the next king of Israel. However, God reminded Samuel that He does not judge a man based on his looks, but rather, based on what is in the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). As humans, we can only see the outer appearance; however, God sees the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21). Therefore, we should be careful not to judge a person based on his superficial appearance.

b) Man sees the flaw; God sees the heart.

Sometimes, we have a bad habit of focusing on people’s past mistakes, and defining them based on their historical flaws. When we think of David, we may tend to remember his adultery. However, the Scriptures tell us that David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). Adultery was not David’s habit; rather, it was a one-time mistake. Thankfully, God is a God of mercy and forgiveness. God sees past David’s flaw, and He sees all the good that is in David’s heart. Therefore, we should not judge a person based on his past flaws, but see him for who is in the present.

c) Man sees the façade; God sees the heart.

Sometimes, we put on a façade: we pretend to be someone that we are not. Some of the Jews during Jesus’ time put on a show of holiness and righteousness; however, Jesus knows that their hearts were really full of wickedness and hypocrisy (Luke 16:15; Matthew 23:25). We may fool men, but we cannot fool God. Therefore, we too should be wise to judge a person carefully, and not be fooled by pretenders.

2. We cannot see the heart, but can we see the fruit?

Ultimately, our words and deeds are a manifestation of what is within our hearts. Even the pretenders cannot pretend forever: they will be exposed sooner or later. Our Lord Jesus reminds us that evil thoughts and deeds begin from the heart (Matthew 15:19). An evil heart will produce evil things, but a good heart will produce good things (Luke 6:45). Hence, we can judge a heart based on the fruit. As Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits…” (Matthew 7:16-17).

3. What are some situations where the wisdom from the proverb becomes important?

a) Looking for a partner.

It is often said that love is blind. When a boy and a girl are “madly in love,” they may be tempted to brush aside their partner’s flaws and misjudge his/her heart. Unfortunately, many fall into this trap until the eye-opening experience called marriage. Hence, we need to choose a partner wisely. It is imperative that we choose a partner based, not on looks, but based on his/her heart. Therefore, before committing to a relationship, it would be wise to take time to observe the person’s deeds and words, so as to get a better understanding of what is in his/her heart.

b) Looking for leaders in the church.

When looking for men to lead in the congregation, we want to choose wisely. The men of Shechem chose Abimelech to be their leader; unfortunately, they chose poorly, leading to their ultimate destruction (Judges 9). We do not want to choose men based on superficial appearances; rather, we want to choose men with good hearts. Thankfully, regarding the elders and deacons in the church, the Bible helps us by providing a list of qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-13). These qualifications are observable, and they help us to identify and appoint men who have good hearts.

c) Looking out for weak Christians.

Christians have a duty to look out for one another, especially those who are spiritually weak (Galatians 6:1-2). Can we tell if a Christian is spiritually weak? Again, we cannot see inside the heart, and we cannot see a person’s secret sins. However, spiritual weakness will manifest itself outwardly. For example, irregular Sunday attendance, absence from church activities, corrupt speech, hatred, wrath… these are all signs of spiritual weakness. As brethren, we need to look out for one another, and exhort one another, lest anyone fall into Satan’s trap (Hebrews 3:13; 10:24-25).

d) Looking within ourselves.

Most importantly, we need to look inwardly and examine ourselves. Of course, we all make mistakes from time to time: we are not defined by the occasional mistake. However, if sinful behaviour has become a habit, then it is a sign of a heart problem. If we find ourselves losing our temper all the time… if we harbour hatred and envy in our hearts… if we keep finding excuses to absent ourselves from the Christian assembly… we need to beware and reexamine our hearts carefully, to ensure that we are right with God.

4. Can the heart be changed?

Thankfully, heart problems can be fixed. As Christians, we have the opportunity to receive a “new heart” from the Lord (Ezekiel 36:26). God’s Word is the agent whereby our hearts receive correction from the Lord (Hebrews 4:12). Hence, we cannot condemn a person forever: we need to give people second chances. We shouldn’t resign ourselves to sinful behavior either: we need to give ourselves the chance to improve and grow. In order for positive change to happen, we need to allow God’s Word to work in our lives. By proclaiming the gospel, we can bring all hearts (including our own) into obedience to Christ.