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Posts Tagged ‘heart’

On Godliness 2

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, tagged , , , , , , on November 11, 2008| Leave a Comment »

As I contemplated what I would write today, the story that came to mind was that of the “rich young man” from Matthew 19:16-22.

16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17″Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
18″Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, ” ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.'”
20″All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Now, I’m sure many have used this story to illustrate a love of money perhaps or an unwillingness to “bear Jesus’s cross” or an unwillngness to sacrifice, but for me, it’s simply a way to show how the Lord sometimes places a mirror before us in order for us to see more clearly our hearts.

Not everyone is interested in looking inside the heart. I find the state of the heart fascinating and I am often asking the Lord to reveal my heart … to refine my heart with the “refiner’s fire.” But there are times when the true state of my heart remains hidden; my true motivations clouded. These are times, the Lord puts up the mirror and says, “Look! this is the real reason behind your actions.”

The rich young man had “done everything” outwardly to “get” eternal life. But all that doing was without the heart. I believe he expected a real “atta boy” from the Lord, but instead he was challenged further. It was here that his heart was revealed.

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Set Apart Christ as Lord

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , , , on February 8, 2008| Leave a Comment »

I Peter 3:15
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

Gentleness and respect for the other! But also, be gentle with yourself. This scripture used to send me into fear and trembling. Oh my… I’m going to have to lay out the facts of my faith. I’ll need to have scriptures memorized. I’ll have to know the 4 Spiritual Laws. I’ll have to answer tough questions about the complexities and apparent discrepancies in scripture. Oh no!

But now, I read this verse with thanksgiving. I thank God for the Christ of my heart. I thank God for the works He has done in my heart so far… and what He will continue to do … for you see, it’s all part of that “sanctification” process. And so, all I can share is what I know. God is not asking me to be more than I am. He’s not asking me to be a preacher or an apostle or a polished speaker. All I need to tell is my story. My story is God’s story. I am just one sliver of God’s grace. And for that I am grateful because without it, I would be dead, literally.

When Christ found me in New York City in 1979, I was spiraling down a very slippery slope while living a decadent life. Everything about me was self-centered and self-destructive from drugs to alcohol to sexual improprieties. And yet, when He touched me… it was with gentleness and respect. Oh yes, and I know, if He could do this for me, when I was living the darkest of lives… then He can do it for anyone else. And shouldn’t I do the same? Shouldn’t I, then, be able to offer gentleness and respect to all persons … for who is say, who might see the truth of Christ through me? Just the way I am… so far.

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