April 25th 2018 - Disciplining our Hearts

April 25th, 2018 - Thoughts for your Week

“Discipleship, we might say, is a way to curate your heart, to be attentive to and

intentional about what you love.”

James K. A. Smith

Disciplining our Hearts

What do you want?  Do you know what you want? Out of life? Out of yourself? From God? Can you be honest enough to ask that question of yourself? Can you be honest in your answer? What do you desire? What do you long for?

This was the question that Jesus asked most; “what do you want?” It’s a hard question to ask ourselves but the answer, if we’re truthful, is the greatest indicator to the deep desires and longings of our heart. And from those longings and desires come our actions and our habits. It says in Proverbs 4:23; “above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” What we store up in our heart dictates what we do with our lives.

Philippians 1:9-11 says; “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

Jesus wants to align His desires and longings with ours. He wants to ‘sync up’ with us so that we live with His eyes and His ears to do His work. It’s not about us. It’s about Him. He’s given each of us special talents and skills to be used within His will for us. When we connect with Him throughout our days, we are giving Him the ability to move within us and awaken those talents and skills to be used the way He wants them used. When we don’t start our day with Him, we miss out on preparing ourselves for what He wants to do. Our desires and longings stay just that; ours. I challenge you to take some time to ask yourself; what do you want? Don’t rush this process. Invite the Holy Spirit into this questioning and trust that He will answer, that He will bring you wisdom and understanding of your true self. Ask Him to show you what you need to do. Do you need to break some unhealthy habits and create new ones? Do you need to change a thought process that you have over something in particular? Trust that He will lead you in this and be prepared to be obedient in it.

“The God who is love reorders our loves, bending our deepest desires back toward Himself, so that we might readily love our neighbours for His name’s sake.”

-       James K.A. Smith

“Our goal is not productivity, but holiness. Not speed, but obedience. Not success, but surrender.”

-       John Piper

“Until you can identify your idols you cannot understand yourself. Until you turn from them you can’t know and walk with God.”

-       Tim Keller

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

-       Hebrews 4:12

“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”

- Isaiah 48:17b