Calloused People



For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Matthew 13:15 (NIV)

Johanna Spyri grew up in Christian home and was tutored by the village pastor. Sadly, as she approached adulthood, she pulled away from the faith of her family. She moved to Zurich and gradually grew more calloused about the faith she learned as a child. In the grip of depression, she returned to the Lord and recovered her mental and spiritual health. Johanna soon began to write about her native Alps, stories that express Christian truth. Her most famous book, Heidi, describes a calloused old man who hadn’t been to church in decades. Eventually the tender witness of his granddaughter, Heidi, softened his heart, and he returned to the Lord with childlike wonder.

It’s easy to become calloused toward God and His church and to pull away from the faith. This is sometimes because of painful events, sometimes because of neglect, sometimes because of a willful choice. This type of spiritual callousness keeps out Gods love. If you’ve grown calloused, ask God to soften your heart so you can feel His love and rediscover the wonder of His grace. Maybe you are burdened for someone who has become calloused toward God. Hang in there and continue, as Heidi did, to love this person and pray for them to return to God.