Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)
Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. (Psalm 73:1)
… the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith. . . . So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. (1 Timothy 1:5, 2:22)
Popular wisdom says you are what you eat. This wisdom applies not only to food, but even to the information we digest intellectually. If we have a steady diet of the social media, internet, television, and/or social influencers, they shape what we think and who we are. It is also why advertisers spend millions of dollars on advertising as they know we consume their advertisement – they enter into our hearts and minds, shaping what we think and who we are. It is also why in the spiritual tradition there is so much emphasis on guarding one’s heart. For example, we pray in the Psalms:
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to thy word. With my whole heart I seek thee; let me not wander from thy commandments! I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:9-11)
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD, keep watch over the door of my lips! Incline not my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties! (Psalm 141:3-4)
The way to a pure heart and the way to see God are actually the same thing. We have to have the eyes to see purity and beauty.
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)
We are to look for that which is pure, beautiful, lovely, godly, holy and readily visible in the world. Then we’ll begin to see purity, beauty, love, holiness, and even God Himself.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)
Fraternized 