Some love it, some hate it, but advanced statistical analysis is here to stay in baseball. Those who hate it, in some cases, want to remember their baseball heroes as the legends they were. Those who love it do so because it gives them a way to better evaluate a player’s true value. Regardless, the numbers don’t lie. Some “legends” weren’t so legendary. On the other hand, a look at the numbers reveals just how undervalued some guys really were.

The numbers don’t lie about a player.

Neither does your heart lie about you.

Proverbs 27:19–“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.”

When the Bible speaks of the heart, it uses it in a fuller sense than we do in our society. In Scripture, “heart” was synonymous with a person’s inner being, who they really are. It includes the mind, feelings, will, decisions, all of the immaterial things that truly defines a person. So, when this proverb says that the heart reflects a person just like water gives a reflection, it means that each of us is defined by what is in our hearts.

The heart doesn’t lie.

Someone can put on a uniform, even look great in it, but that doesn’t make them a great ballplayer. The numbers won’t lie. If they can’t hit, the numbers will show. If they can’t field, the numbers will show. If they can’t pitch, the numbers will show.

Someone can go to church, memorize some verses, talk and act like a Christian, but that doesn’t make them a disciple of Jesus. The heart won’t lie. It is in the heart, not on the outside, that a person needs the change only Jesus can bring.

Jesus isn’t looking to merely change what you do. He’s looking to change who you are. If it was merely about changing what you do, you could do that on your own. But you can’t change who you are. You can’t change your heart. Only Jesus can do that.

Look at your heart today. Your mind, feelings, will, decisions, and all the immaterial things that truly define you won’t lie to you. You know if you have been changed by Jesus or not. Give up the act, repent, believe in him, surrender today to let him change who you are. What you do will follow.

Lord Jesus, I know my heart doesn’t lie. I can’t change who I am, so I ask you to do that for me. I believe in you as the Son of God and call on you for forgiveness of my sin. Give me a new heart. Then, do what you want with who I am on the outside. Amen.