Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Summary: Sometimes we can feel alone in a crowd, and at other times even when we are alone we feel the presence of others. The direction our heart is traveling determines how we feel.
When we pray the words, “Our Father,” we acknowledge we are not alone spiritually, even if we appear to be alone physically. Our spirit, “born again” into the family of God, kneels with everyone in God’s family as we come before the Father. And while this is both true and important, there is another aspect to the “our” in “Our Father” that is good to be aware of. The second impact of using the word “our” has to do with our hearts.
Solomon tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The heart that he is referring to, like the mind and the soul, is invisible. It is not something we can point to and say “there it is.” Yet we intuitively know that the heart Solomon refers to, like the physical heart at the center of our bodies, is at the center of our being. The heart is the focal point of our thoughts and emotions.
Like a ship, we can turn our heart this way or that (Proverbs 7:25, Deuteronomy 30:17, 1 Kings 8:58). Scripture cautions us to be careful which direction our heart turns because God knows the secrets of our heart (Psalm 44: 20-21). This is why David asks God to create in him a pure heart (Psalm 51:10).
How do we do that?
How do we get to a place where we have a pure heart before the God of all things?
Jesus gives us the answer. In Matthew 22: 37-40, he summarizes “all the Law and the Prophets” with these words:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Where does God want our focus to be? Which direction should the ship of our heart be sailing? God wants us to focus on him and the welfare of our neighbors. Period. There is no room for “I,” “Me” or “My.”
And so we are told to go to our room, close the door, and pray, “Our Father…”
Do you see how that works? With two words, Jesus makes sure we are focusing on God and our neighbors. Our internal compass is set towards our North Star, God himself. Along the way, we are to reflect God’s goodness and light to our neighbors. Our journey is about “we,” not “me.”
Application: Pray the Lord’s Prayer today and be aware of how the words affect your heart.
Food for Thought: What does it feel like when our hearts try and go in two directions at once?
I get frustrated and then a little upset. Frustrated because one of the two end up getting the lesser of my attention and resources, and then upset because I see one slipping away. Its in that space I feel anxious, fearful, and conflicted.
I think it is important to looks at why you want something in the first place. Do you feel led by the Spirit or is it something the flesh desires.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Thanks Chris,
The Galatians 5:17 passage is a great reference.
I think we have all been there. The feeling of being internally divided is not good or sustainable. Eventually we have to choose. Matthew 6: 24.
11-04-2022, What does it feel like when our hearts try and go in two directions at once?
I once became acquainted with a man at our church who showed all the signs of being a fine christian man devoted to God and his family. I spoke with him one day and asked him to consider going to bible studies with me. At first he showed an interest, then I told him it was on Monday evenings. He actually seemed offended as he told me that was his bowling night, and had been for 7 years. There was no way he would give up bowling with his friends for bible studies. He and his wife would invite my wife and I to their home for gatherings. At first there was a little drinking. In time it became heavier and eventually he and several others would get totally drunk, so my wife and I stopped going. He lost his job, they stopped coming to church and his wife was calling our home asking me If I could come to their home again and maybe help him get back to church, but there was nothing I could do. Eventually they moved to another state.
We cannot go in two directions at one time. If we try to serve both God and the worldly desires of our flesh, we will only end up serving our worldly desires. We say we love God, however our flesh makes us compromise and with God there is no compromising. It could be, sports, hobbies, bowling, or whatever, it becomes sin as it draws us away from God.
Matthew 19:16-22, 24-28, Mark 8:36, Hebrews 11:6, 1 Timothy 6:16-19, James 2:26, Proverbs 11:27-28