How to Recognize and Overcome a Hardened Heart

Imagine walking through a breathtaking garden, unaware of its beauty because your eyes are closed.

Or maybe you're in an art museum. A group of people is in front of a painting, oooing and ahhing over its beauty, but you just don't "see" it. They obviously understand something you don't. But you turn and walk away, uninterested. You could have asked them to explain what they see. Instead of choosing enlightenment, though, you chose to remain in your comfort zone of ignorance.

The Bible calls this condition a “hardened heart.” It’s not just a spiritual diagnosis; it’s a warning. A hardened heart keeps us from seeing, hearing, and understanding what God is trying to show us. It blinds us to opportunities, limits our growth, and robs us of greater blessings.

You cannot make discoveries in the known. It just doesn't make sense. There's nothing new there.

Understanding the Heart

We've talked about this.

Your beliefs are shaped by culture, education, family, and personal experience. These influences create mental “pathways,” making certain thoughts feel natural and unquestionable.

Jesus refers to this as “the abundance of the heart.” And this abundance determines the course of your life.

That’s why Solomon charged us with a command to guard the heart.

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
- Proverbs 4:23

Over time, repeated thoughts solidify into deeply held beliefs, even if those beliefs contradict Truth or aren’t beneficial.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
- Romans 1:28 NLT

The Hardened Heart

But even though God admonishes us to guard the heart with all diligence, we are also admonished to guard against a hardened heart.

"For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them."
– Matthew 13:15 BSB

To grow calloused indicates their hearts were once soft and open, but are now hard and unyielding.

A hardened heart is like packed soil. It is so rigid that it cannot absorb water or allow seeds to take root.

Biblically, it means being closed off to Truth, unable or unwilling to hear God's voice or acknowledge His hand at work. It is content to stay in the old way of doing things and cannot accept new insights or ideas.

Failing to Keep Up

Years ago, I was called for jury duty in a civil trial. The plaintiff, a woman in her 50s, sued her employer for age discrimination.

She began her career as a legal secretary when manual typewriters were standard office equipment. Over time, technology advanced. The IBM Selectric was introduced, followed by personal computers and word processors.

While she transitioned from manual to electric typewriters, she resisted moving to computers despite her employer’s repeated attempts to train her on the new technology.

Her attachment to the typewriter made her inefficient, ultimately costing her the job. Her resistance to evolution became her downfall, and the company had to let her go.

She lost her income, and she lost the civil case.

Solidified Beliefs

We each start life as a blank slate. We learn who we are and what we can do from the authorities surrounding us. Their input shapes who we are and how we view life.

Thoughts repeated become deep-seated beliefs.

If you’ve been told your whole life that “money is the root of all evil,” you might struggle to see financial success as a blessing from God.
If you’ve been told your whole life that another race of people is inherently evil or inferior, you will find it difficult to accept them as equals in Christ.
If your teachers and parents called you “slow” and incapable of learning, you would be trapped in a life of menial tasks.

The Danger of a Hardened Heart

A hardened heart isn’t just a spiritual issue—it’s a practical one. It affects us in every area of life:

Spiritually: It blocks us from hearing God’s voice and receiving His guidance.
Financially: Rigid beliefs about money can keep us in lack, unable to receive the blessings God wants to provide.
Physically: Who we believe about health governs our decisions about what we eat and how we exercise.
Relationally: Unyielding perspectives can prevent us from building deeper, healthier connections.

This was precisely the reason why I struggled financially for years. I held to my beliefs even when they weren’t working.

The Pharisees are a sobering example.

These religious leaders knew the scriptures inside and out, yet they missed the Messiah when He stood before them.

Their focus on the fine points of the law led them to maintain tradition and authority rather than seek God’s heart. They expected a conquering king to overthrow their oppressors, not a humble servant who would challenge their pride and redefine their concept of righteousness.

Their rigid beliefs blinded them to God’s fulfillment of the very scriptures they revered.

They valued their interpretations of the law and their positions of authority more than the deeper spiritual truths the law pointed to.

Consider wet concrete. At first, it’s fluid and easy to shape, but it hardens over time. Once it sets, the only way to reshape it is to break it apart.

Saul’s Story

One of the most powerful examples of breaking a hardened heart is Saul, who later became the apostle Paul.

Saul was zealous in his beliefs, so much so that he persecuted Christians, believing he was on the right side of Truth.

He was so set in his beliefs that Jesus had to confront him dramatically, shattering his perspective and opening him to a new understanding.

After his conversion, Saul didn’t immediately start preaching. Instead, he studied the scriptures with fresh eyes, allowing God to reshape his beliefs.

Saul’s story reminds us that transformation is possible, no matter how rigid our hearts have become. Even if we’re on the wrong path, God can redirect us if we’re open to receiving.

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

One of the greatest barriers to growth is the belief that we already know everything we need to know. But here’s the truth: we don’t know what we don’t know.

You cannot make discoveries in the known. It just doesn't make sense.
- Dan Koe

The outright rejection of an idea—just because it doesn’t align with how we currently see things—is the fastest way to protect our beliefs. But it’s also the surest way to miss out on something better.

This is why I challenge myself to stay open. And one way I do this is by reading outside my main focus.

While I love studying spiritual principles, I also read books on business, psychology, and philosophy. These often introduce concepts that give me a new perspective or refine what I already know.

I also enjoy listening to YouTubers who challenge my thinking. Although I don’t agree with everything they say, they push me to reflect and ask, “What if I’m missing something?”

An Important Test

If what you're doing works, don't make radical changes.

Test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21 BSB

But that shouldn't stop you from considering ideas you can use to tweak what you know to make it even better.

If what you believe doesn't work or produces inconsistent results, something is missing. What is it?

A hardened heart will keep you stuck, but an open heart positions you for growth and blessing. It’s not always easy to let go of rigid beliefs, but it’s always worth it.

Life is Evolving

Life is changing fast. We can’t afford to hold on to the same ideas that worked forty years ago. If we don’t learn, we’ll go backward.

Maintain Curiosity

There’s so much to learn. When we can access the One who knows everything, why wouldn’t we have questions?

If you don’t have questions, there’s nothing for God to answer. He’ll let you continue on your way, even if it’s the wrong path. You have to be open to the idea that you could be wrong, and if you are, what are the adjustments you need to make?

Diane and I often pray before going into social settings that God would minister to us, even in casual conversation. And we’ve often come away from those gatherings with answers to questions we’ve had before God.

But you don’t have to accept everything you hear hook, line, and sinker.

You have to be as smart as a cow. Eat the hay and leave the sticks.
- Kenneth E. Hagin

Questions to Consider

We open ourselves to incredible blessings when we allow God to soften our hearts and show us new things.

To keep your heart soft and open, ask yourself:

What if my beliefs about God, prayer, or finances are incomplete?
What if my current perspective limits my ability to experience the fullness of God’s blessings?
Am I willing to let go of what isn’t working to embrace something new?

These questions aren’t about abandoning your beliefs. They’re about refining them.

Here’s what happens when we stay teachable:

Clarity: We see God’s truth and His plan for us more clearly.
Breakthroughs: Areas of struggle—spiritual, financial, or relational—begin to improve.
Peace: A soft heart allows us to rest in God’s guidance, trusting Him to lead us.

Jesus didn’t come to condemn hardened hearts but to transform them.

He wants to break through the walls we’ve built and lead us into greater abundance.

Remember, if it's not working, or it's not producing consistent results, there's something missing.

What is it?

Pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. Ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe.
- Ephesians 1:17-19 BSB

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 BSB

Launch into the unknown.
Make a bold decision, even if it feels foolish.
Force yourself to pursue the path you've been avoiding.
Dive in, sink or swim—and trust you'll learn how to swim.
- Dan Koe