The Desensitization of the Heart

There is something quietly happening to our hearts.

It’s not loud.
It’s not obvious.
It is not sudden.

But it is steadily happening. Every single day.

We are getting used to things that should trouble us.

The things that once made people(me) pause… now barely make us blink.

And the dangerous part?
We don’t even realize it.

When Did This Become Normal?

Let’s start with something simple—media.

Watch a love story today.
What do you see?

A man and a woman living together.
Not married. Just… cohabiting.

Okay, society says it’s normal now, abi? Is it normal? Should it be normal?

But it doesn’t stop there.

Now there are children in the house.
Children growing up watching a man and woman play house without covenant, without commitment… and calling it family.

And nobody questions it.

We’ve moved from “this is wrong.”
to “this is common.”
to “this is normal.”

But when did that happen?

What We Once Hid, We Now Announce

There was a time when even if people did certain things, they did them quietly.

It was not something you brought into the open.
And definitely not something you normalized.

Now?

“Mom, I’m going to my boyfriend’s house for the weekend.”

And somehow… It’s okay.

Are we still asking what is right?
Or are we just accepting what is common?

The Everyday Compromises

It’s not just relationships.

It’s in the little things, too.

Bribery?
“Just settle them.”

Exam malpractice?
“Help the child, na.”

NYSC relocation?
“It’s just how things are done.”

We even have language to soften it.

“Pour water in front so you can step on soft ground.”( read in Yoruba)

But let’s call it what it is.

It is not normal. It is not right.

It has just become familiar…

Where Do We Draw the Line?

This is the question that keeps echoing:

Where do we draw the line?

At what point do we say…

“No. Even if I stand alone… I will stand right.”

Because the truth is, it’s not always easy.

In some places, if you don’t compromise, you will suffer.

Doors will close.
Things will be harder.

But difficulty does not make wrong… right. Does it?

Not Throwing Stones

Let’s be honest.

This is not a “them vs us” conversation.

I’m not here to throw stones.

I am just as guilty.

We have all, in one way or another, adjusted… excused… tolerated.

That’s how desensitization works.

Not in big, dramatic falls.

But in small, repeated compromises.

The Question We Forgot to Ask

Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking a simple question:

What would Jesus do?

Not what is convenient.
Not what is trending.
Not what everybody is doing.

But what would Jesus do?

If we paused…even for a few seconds…before our decisions…
and answered that question honestly…

Things would change.

It might look strange.
It might look extreme.
It might even look “weird.”

But then again…

Jesus Himself looked strange to His time.

The Subtle One: Our Phones

Let’s talk about something closer.

Our phones.

This one… is deep.

It’s not just about social media.
It’s about attachment.

Even in church.

Worship is going on… and phones are up.

Recording. Scrolling. Checking.

Moments meant for God… divided by a screen.

What about in our day-to-day?

The unhealthy amount of time we (yes, I am just as guilty) spend on our mobile phones, ehn… whew.

And we say,
“I’m using it for my business.”

That may be true.

But even good things, without boundaries, become distractions.

Broken Walls

Scripture says:

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

Some of our walls are down.

And if we’re honest…

We know where.

I know mine.

Do you know yours?

A Prayer, Not Just a Realization

Because this cannot end in “Hmm… this is deep.”

It has to go beyond conviction.

It has to become repentance.

A returning.

A realignment.

God can rebuild us.

He can take hearts that have grown dull…
and make them sensitive again.

He can replace a stony heart
with a heart of flesh.

A heart that feels what He feels.
That responds to what matters to Him.

Rebuild Us, Lord

So the real question is:

Will we continue…
Or will we return?

Will we keep adjusting…
Or will we draw a line?

Will we allow our hearts to harden…
Or will we ask God to rebuild?

Like a quiet prayer rising from within:

“Lord, rebuild me.”

Not just in words.
But in truth.

Because it is better to look strange in the world…

and be aligned with God…

than to blend in…

and lose the sensitivity of our hearts.

Final Prayer

May we not just feel convicted in a moment…

and move on unchanged.

May we truly repent.
May we truly return.
May our hearts beat again for what matters to God.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.