Romans 7:21-23
It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Suppose you want to watch the Super Bowl at home, in your sweats, while eating a big bowl of popcorn or a frozen pizza. But your parents, significant other, or best friend want you to go with them to a Super Bowl party with lots of people – many of whom you don’t know all that well. You know you won’t be able to see much of the game… and the other guests may be rooting for the opposing team. You don’t want to get dressed up and socialize with others… but you don’t want to disappoint the person who is asking you to come along. So you “play nice,” squelch your true feelings and agree to go. Whether anyone else knows or not, your heart truly is not in this.
Let’s be honest… a lot of life is about compromises. And that often means doing something when our heart truly isn’t in it, because it’s the right thing to do… on several levels. But compromising in matters of faith is another story altogether. Concessions in the natural have to do with the body… compromises in our faith have to do with the spirit. In Spiritual terms, your heart is where God resides. He has given you the Holy Spirit to live in your heart… to guide you and help you to make choices that honor Jesus and your commitment to Him.
While agreeing to go to a party that really doesn’t interest you is more a gesture of cooperation, choosing to join in a conversation that includes gossip and disrespectful talk about someone else is a rebellion against the Holy Spirit. It may be fun or feel good at the time… but on some level, we usually know (or we should know!) that this is wrong. If your “heart isn’t in” working out and eating right, that’s one thing. But if you don’t have a heart for the obeying God’s word and seeking Him in prayer, that’s another.
So often, we want to pat ourselves on the back for the smallest of gestures toward our faith. We want “brownie points” for attending worship services or helping the needy. We ask God to give us guidance – or we pray for someone in need – and we read our Bible every day for a week… then we congratulate ourselves on how well we are demonstrating our faith and living for Jesus. Even worse… we compare ourselves to others and decide that we’re really doing pretty well. After all… they aren’t serving on a committee or in a leadership role at church. They don’t go on mission trips or work in local charities. Hey… they don’t even come to church very often!
The truth is that they may have more of a heart for God than we ever will. The heart is the “hidden, inner man” and shows us God’s definition of your spirit. No one can truly know what is in your heart except for you and God. But we both know that often, what we say is in our heart… and what is truly there… are two very different things.
It’s time to reconcile our Spiritual heart with the Holy Spirit. It’s time for us to truly focus on what God has placed in our heart… and to operate from that position. We need to be deeply aware of the devil’s attempt to creep in and lure us into a false sense of security… to convince us that his way is more enjoyable. Many of us operate on the premise that as long as we do “enough” to appease God, we can do whatever feels good the rest of the time.
Remember… God knows your heart. He knows when you are operating from a place of honor and glory to Him… and when someone else has captured your attention. Don’t live in this state of limbo. Choose to seek God… to believe and serve Him with your full heart - and never miss the mark. Ask Him to give you wisdom and courage to resist the temptations that will surely come… and to stay on course.
Renew your commitment to delight in God’s commands… and to defy the devil’s petition for your attention. Give your heart fully to God… and live in the confidence that He is always in charge. You still may not have your heart in attending a Super Bowl party. But if God is telling you to in your “Spiritual heart” go, He will equip you with an attitude of love and generosity… and the grace to smile all evening.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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