March 13th | Heart

Today we talked about heart. Why? Because whenever we venture down the path of “doing something” for God or “doing something” to know God better (like a new spiritual discipline during Lent), we run the risk of having our actions become the focal point. And when our actions become the focal point we can get legalistic or prideful or self-righteous. We must always remember that God is more favorable toward mercy than he is toward sacrifice (Mt 9:13). That is, he is concerned about more than the activity…he’s concerned about the heart. That is, he is more concerned about relationship than he is about religion. He is more concerned about your heart toward him than your work for him.

Last week we concluded that our soul crys out to…longs for…is designed to be connected to God. That it’s not a feeling, but a fact. This week the question might be, “How do we see that happen?” How do we help our soul get and stay connected with its Maker?” Jesus said the “pure in heart” would be blessed, for they will see God. So, it comes back again to the heart. To know God, we must tend to our heart.

There are endless distractions for our heart to be led astray. Ecclesiastes includes this sentence in chapter 7, “God made men true and upright, we’re the ones who made a mess out of things.” (MSG). It’s important to realize that although it’s necessary to practice disciplines of the faith in order to orient ourselves toward God, God is not concerned about the success of our discipline, but rather concerned about our success in providing Him access to challenge and change our heart.

Expect any actions you take and any hopes you have for this Lenten season to include at least two challenges. First, any discipline worth it’s salt (as an old sailor would say) will cast light upon your heart and expose what you don’t want exposed or expose what you never realized was in there. Things like impatience, disappointment, broken dreams, etc…(rarely do we need what’s good about heart exposed…we’re comfortable with those things!). It is in those difficult realities of our heart that God wants to meet you, and that Jesus wants to comfort and heal you. Don’t conclude that your efforts have somehow failed because you face difficulty. To get our heart where God wants it…the truth must be faced…then it can be dealt with and overcome.

Second, expect your plans for Lent to fall short of your expectations. If you plan to pray every morning before your feet hit the floor…expect to awaken one day and realize it’s been days since you’ve prayed last. If you decide to read a chapter a day of the Bible or a book, expect to fall behind in your plan. This won’t always be the case, but for many of us it will. The point is…that’s OKAY. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8,9. It is in these spaces of our unfortunate humanity that God can often most profoundly and gently meet us.

Many of us have the wrong view of our Father in Heaven. That he is domineering father or a harsh disciplinarian, or a shaming or disappointed God. You may know fathers like that…you may have or had one like that…but that’s not the sort of God Jesus made known! Allow, during this Lenten season, for new disciplines or sacrifices in your life, and allow for your needy and sometimes darkened heart to be exposed, but most of all allow for the gracious and powerful love of God to honestly and mercifully meet you in these moments and during these 40 Days.

What’s your favorite book or movie of all time?

What is your natural sense of God’s view of the hidden parts of your heart or his view of you when you feel you have failed him? What IS his view?