3 Marks of a Woman After God's Own Heart

You’ve heard the term: A man or woman after God's own heart. But what does that mean and how can we become this type of believer after God’s heart? In today’s video, learn where the term “after God’s own heart” comes from and how we can cultivate hearts after God.

David was considered a man after God’s own heart. Let’s look at his life and character to learn 3 marks of a heart after a God.

Reverence

 The first mark of a heart after God is reverence. David values God greatly and honors Him. As a young man, he defeated the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:41-52), not because of his own strength, but because He truly believed in God's strength. David’s faith was great in God. Listen to what he says to Goliath before their fight:

“For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (1 Samuel 17:47 ESV)

David attributes all of his strength and victory to God. Being a woman after God’s own heart means having a high honor for God and giving Him all the glory. Any success she acquires she knows comes from the Lord.

Repentance

The second mark of a woman after God’s own heart is repentance. Many wonder why David would be considered a man after God’s own heart. After all, he was an adulterer (2 Samuel 11:1-5) murderer (2 Samuel 11:15), and did not always please God (2 Samuel 24). As we’ve learned, David accredited his success to the Lord, but he owned up to his mistakes and looked to God for forgiveness. Even when he fell short, he had a heart to make things right with God. In the Psalms, especially Psalm 51, we hear David’s repentant heart. He writes:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭51:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

When our hearts are after God, we don’t try to clean up our own messes or act like they don’t exist. We seek God for both success and forgiveness. A woman after God's own heart is not perfect, but she admits her mistakes and asks for God's strength to purify her heart. She doesn’t need to pretend to be something she’s not. She gives her heart to God and allows Him to mold her into the woman He’s called her to be.

A Desire for God.

The final mark of a woman after God’s own heart is a steadfast desire for God. David was a man of wealth and power, however his desire was not for these things. In the Psalms, David writes:

 Our first command from God is to love Him with our whole hearts (Matthew 22:37).  This is a key mark of a woman after God’s own heart. Now you may be wondering, how do we develop that kind of desire for God when we are tempted and distracted by this fallen world?

To answer that question, I want to look at another person in the Bible who had a heart for God. She is known as the sinful woman in Luke 7. In this chapter, we read of Jesus eating at the home of a religious leader. While there, a sinful woman enters, anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume, wets his feet with her tears, and wipes them with her hair. Those eating with Jesus mentally criticize her for being a sinner, and Jesus for allowing her to touch Him. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, used the moment to teach all those there that her act of kindness was greater than anything offered by those eating with Jesus. Then Jesus says:

“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47 ESV)

Like David, this woman didn’t love God because she was perfect, but because despite the fact that she wasn’t perfect, God forgave her. Her steadfast love and devotion to God was a response to what God had already done for her. 

She had a heart for God because she knew God had a heart for her.

In my book “Daughters of Fire,” I say: “It’s not about our fire for God, it’s about His fire for us.”

Cultivating a heart after God happens when we cultivate a relationship with Him. When we know God, and His love for us in light of our sin, past, and shortcomings, it grows in us a response to love and desire Him. 

Now I’d love to hear from you Beloved. Let me know in the comments, which mark of a woman after God’s heart do you relate to most? Let’s encourage one another in the comments. 

For more Beloved encouragement, be sure to join the sisterhood at belovedwomen.org to receive my free video Bible study called “Worry-Free” to learn the 3 lies feeding your worry and the truth to set you free. 

If today’s video was an encouragement to you, please be sure to like and share today’s video because you just never know who may need some Beloved encouragement today.

As always, thank you so much for watching and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and be loved.