“Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! … I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." (Psalm 119:2,10). Seek the Lord with my whole heart. Now what exactly does that mean? Does it mean going to church every Sunday? Does it mean putting some money in the offering plate? Is that what being a Christian is all about?Some people would say, "Yes! That’s good enough for me! I come to church. I give money. What else is there?"
What if I came home to see my wife only once a week on Sunday? What if I said, "Hi honey! I’m home! For a whole hour! And guess what? This time, I brought you some money! I was going to spend it at McDonald’s. But I wanted you to have it so you would know how much I really love you and what a good husband I am! I have to go now so I won’t be late for the game. But I’m sure I’ll be back next week. Bye sweetheart!"
I’m sure you’re thinking, "What kind of a loser is that? What kind of a creep spends only an hour a week with his wife?"
But this is how some people treat God. They give him an hour a week on Sunday; a couple of bucks in the plate. And they think that everything’s Ok. Well, guess what? It’s not ok. Jeremiah 29:13 says "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL OF YOUR HEART!"
It’s like God is saying, “I’m not looking for a 1 hour a week relationship! I don’t want a casual courtship! I want something more than that! I want all your heart! I want a commitment. I want to hear your voice in prayer every day. I want you to read my Bible. I want you to share the good news about my Son with others. I want you to visit the elderly. I want you to be compassionate on those who are less fortunate. I want you to represent Jesus Christ in all that you do."
The true evidence of seeking the Lord with my whole heart is I “keep His testimonies” and do not “stray from your commands.” (Psalm 119:2,10). Jesus said it this way, “If you love Me, keep My commandments,” "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me,” and "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” (John 14:15,21,23).
Am I whole hearted for God?
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It's always good to remind ourselves that Christianity is not a religion - it's a lifestyle! It was so awesome seeing you line up the scripture that way too. I've heard them all before and seen them mentioned here or there on this same topic, but to really see them all lined out like that one after another is really convicting.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a religion, it's a relationship.
ReplyDeleteThe word that stood out to me the most in your post was the word "casual".
I think this is the demonic warlord that has injured more people than poverty and prosperity put together. In our relationship with God, "casual" is how you spell sin using 6 letters.
Wouldn't it be great if everyone understood that God wants to have a conversation, that God wants to dig deeper, that God wants to heal their hurt, that God has a purpose for their life, that God is their when no one else is, etc...? Unfortunately, we remain ignorant because we neglect his availability.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. I shared some of these thoughts with my church last night at prayer meeting. The question they asked was: How do we do that? How do we really give God our whole heart?
ReplyDeleteIt seems like they were saying, "there is such a pull from the world, from my flesh, that it just seems too hard at times."
I tried to teach them the power of the Holy Spirit within believers to accomplish God's purpose. I said the real, and only, step we must take is the same one we took when we were saved--a step of faith to yield ourselves to the Spirit's control.
I'm not sure they got it. I am praying about how to demonstrate that Holy Spirit dynamic in more concrete terms and examples.
--Richard