Are Our Hearts in the Right Place? The Bible has many references to the heart as the core of the human individual. “God Searches every heart” -1 Corinthians 28:9. He “Knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21. Our Father in Heaven “Does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Father looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7. A man’s heart is important to the Lord, Jesus confirms this when he affirms the essence of the old covenant “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”- Matthew 22:37. It is a matter of being true and whole in our relationship with our Father in Heaven. This, by no means, is only an intellectual or cognitive attitude, for it is written: And now, O’ Israel, what does the Lord, your God ask of you, but to fear the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12. God looks at our hearts for true repentance (Psalm 51:17). and he wants to renew our hearts so that we may love Him whole-heartedly (Ezekiel 36:26). It is with our hearts that we believe and are justified. (Romans 10:10). In Christ, God had let the light “shine in our hearts to give us the light of knowledge of the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:6). And Paul said that the Lord may make the love increase and overflow and that our hearts may be strengthened so that we may be found blameless and Holy in the presence of our God when our Lord Jesus returns. All of these references and many more underscore the importance of keeping the heart close to the Lord and letting Him be in control of our innermost being, the heart. We are challenged then to communicate the Word from heart to heart in the same passionate way God had revealed His innermost desire for us by having His own Son die on the cross. Our problem as flesh and blood is that we often let our minds override our hearts. We know in our hearts the right thing to do, but rationalize our actions and decisions so that we are following our thoughts, which are purely a product of our humanity and ignore our hearts which are closer to God Himself. I read a story once of a salesman who liked to use photocopied cartoon jokes like the ones you see on calendars. Most of these were a little off-color, sexual in format, but not explicit. They were meant to portray everyday life, but with certain overtones. Once at a meeting with a perspective client, the salesman upon producing the cartoon, failed to elicit a response. He thought perhaps the client did not understand the joke. He continued with his sales pitch injecting these cartoons into the conversation at regular intervals, still without the expected response. All the other people he had showed them to loved the humor. Had this gentleman already seen the jokes? The salesman decided that it was time for the grand finale, the clincher accompanied by yet another of the photocopied jokes. At that point the perspective client rose from his chair and burst into a hymn at the top of his voice. He walked out of the office, not even looking at the salesman and out into the sales floor still resounding loudly and slightly off key about the saving Grace of God and how He pours out that grace on those whom He loves. The salesman sat in shock. Had he driven the client mad, or was he that way before their meeting? The salesman had never seen such a display before: openly singing, and about God? What did that mean? There were customers in the store! The salesman left in disbelief and at a loss for words. It wasn’t until several months later that the salesman realized what had transpired. A seed was planted deeply that day. That a man would stand up and sing in public “ I have God and He loves me, and to Him I give all of my heart”. There were other seeds waiting to blossom in the salesman’s heart concerning God’s love for him also. They were planted along the way by other people the salesman hadn’t noticed or remembered until after that day. He later commented that that one incident in the store seemed to sprout a garden of growth in him. The owner of the store who sang that hymn so boldly that day understood the concept of love and redemption. He owned the Kingdom within himself. He paid the price of gratitude every day with his life on display before the world like a light at the top of a hill. He understood the power of the heart over the mind. The power that touched off the spark of fire in the salesman that later led him to God’s Word. Was the owner trying to convert the salesman? No, not as we would normally picture conversion. The store owner was simply being himself; openly in love with the Word of God, turning away from the things he knew would not please God, rejecting the ways of the world, choosing to lead his life with his heart and not his brain. Choosing, like Moses to suffer for a time rather than partake of this, the world’s pleasures and ways. Putting away childish things, and keeping from things that would lead to temptation. In his song to God, the owner was doing as scripture says; exposing and not partaking of evil. The store owner kept himself in the right place. His heart was on the right treasure. Caring instead to look forward to the richness of the Kingdom, bringing in the harvest and doing it not on the merit of his own talent, but because Jesus suffered for him. The salesman’s conversion was not the direct work of the owner, but God working through him. There are millions in this world who have nowhere to turn, no one to talk to. We should set the example by “Casting all our care upon Him; for He careth for us” (1 Peter 5:7). They could have Jesus, if they would only accept the Word. Yet many are searching for answers, not with their minds, but with their hearts. They are looking for examples. “For even here unto were we called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example that we should follow in His steps; Who did no sin , neither was guile found in His mouth.” (1 Peter 2: 21-22). We have before us an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people. First, we have the privilege to show our children God’s love and compassion in our actions. For it is by our fruits we will be judged. God has entrusted us with these, his children, that they be harkened to the light of Truth. And by our action and example the stage may be set for tender hearts to more appropriately rule growing minds. Our children need to witness us making sacrifices for others. “But whoso hath this worlds goods, and seeth his brother have not, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:17). Sacrifices are more often than not something other than monetary. We can all afford, no matter our situation, to give of ourselves. The man that limps or hobbles thinks all is lost until he sees a man with no feet. Phillipians 4:11 states “Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith be content.” I have to remind myself of the things that are important daily, lest I be lifted up with pride. Secondly, as an Ecclesia, we have a remarkable opportunity to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless. Although little children were at the focus of James when he said “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). As we walk in the world today we find many of these children as our neighbors and friends outside the Truth. They are orphans because they know not the Father’s truths. They are widows because they have no commitment to the unity of Gods’ people. It should be our duty to reunite these orphans with the Father and these widows with the Bride we know as Christ. Are we prepared to extend the hand that Jesus talks about in Matthew 25: 34-40? Read this passage with me. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35. For as I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee? 39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40. And the King shall answer and say to them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done it to me. Will the Lord be pleased with our efforts in reaching the lost and tending to the needs of our fellow man? Or will he be ashamed that we could not commit ourselves even to one afternoon to serve God’s purpose. What does our heart tell us? Do we listen to our mind that says “ I have only one day free from the toil work and would like to spend it in my own way. Or do we listen to what God has planted deeply in our heart. We must wrestle with these questions as an Ecclesia and individually as families. To ignore these may be our Achilles heel, our place for satan to dwell. “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” (Isaiah 1:3). As Christadelphians we must check to see that everything in our lives is functioning properly. Many of us follow our thoughts much more than our hearts. In this way we have no power and are merely stumbling along. Some have neglected the Word in our hearts and thus, are not ready for judgment. We must be transformed by the Word and avoid conforming to the World. Many feel that they have been in the Truth so long that there could be nothing new under the sun. For them, this could be true, but for many who stand outside these doors, Truth is in their minds and not their hearts. Our actions must be led by our hearts for it is there that God has written his Law. And according to Christ Himself, the greatest law written on our hearts should be to love thy neighbor as thyself. It is only when we do this that we can say that we are ready for judgment. Are we ready? How many of us could say that we are? Isaiah could say it after he had seen the Lord God, seen himself, confessed his sins, and received cleansing. He put it in these words “ Here I am; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). When Goliath challenged God’s people and all hearts feared, David saw the situation, became stirred in the face of criticism and said “Is there not a cause, let no man’s heart fail because of him, thy servant will go and fight with the Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17: 29-32). David was ready. When the day of Christ’s appearance to the apostles came, Peter was there, filled with the Holy Spirit, he was there and let God in his heart control his life. He was ready. When God has control of our lives by the Word written in our hearts, He puts us in the right place at the right time to allow others to come into the truth. At these times God must wonder “Who shall go for Me?”. It is sad to hear that He finds such answers as these: “I have married a wife and cannot go.” or “I have bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it.” as witnessed in Luke 14: 18-20. I do not feel that it is an accident that we find ourselves here amid a host of misbelievers. And again I ask the question “Are we ready?”. Are we ready to sacrifice our own needs and desires to reach someone who is ready to receive the Truth. What I find most disheartening is the fact that our minds have lead us to believe that we are not the new creatures we were baptized into. We need to remember and fully understand what the Apostle Paul says to us in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. 17. ”If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away behold, all things are become new.” 18. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of Reconciliation. 19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed to us unto us the Word of reconciliation. 20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” We can not live with Christ and seek the pleasures of our old lives. Else we become as Judas Escariot. I can’t help but think that Judas led his life from his head and not his heart. For he lived in Jesus’s company but did not share his spirit. It is as possible now as it was then, if not moreso, then to claim allegiance to God while never leading with our hearts. The fact remains that while Judas may have been sincere, he was not wholehearted in his decision. The story of Judas is important to us today because it allows us the opportunity to realize the wickedness of our own flesh. How many of us call Jesus our King yet sit upon our own thrones? Oh how we approach Him on Sunday with a symbolic kiss then turn our backs and not embrace him during the week, crucifying Him afresh. In our world of loneliness and despair, there is an enormous need for brothers an sisters who know the heart of God, a heart that forgives, that cares, that reaches out and wants to heal. In that heart there is no suspicion, no vindictiveness, no resentment, and not a tinge of hatred. It is a heart that wants only to give love and receive love in response. It is a heart that suffers immensely because it sees the magnitude of human pain and the great resistance to trusting the heart of God who wants to offer consolation and hope. This is where our hearts should be. "Jesus said, 'If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth with save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.'" Are we able to be the example others are looking for? Are we willing to let others hear the Word of Truth etched into our hearts? Are we ready to sing our Hymns out loud? Are our hearts in the right place?
Sol L. Gorrell Wanatah Christadelphian Ecclesia 03/30/2002