Avoiding a Heart of Stone

Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. (Proverbs 4:23 AMP)

Our hearts must remain tender, when our hearts harden we block the flow of the Holy Spirit and become disconnected from God. Imagine a river flowing smoothly, the river being the Holy Spirit and the smooth flow is how we receive God's Word, will and instruction in our lives.  Now imagine each time we allow ourselves to be offended by another that a rock is dropped in that river, and each time we judge someone another rock is added, if we continue to allow these feelings and 'things' to add up; soon the rocks begin to pile up and the flow of the river is corrupted.

I've made the same mistake myself, I've judged other believers, I've compared myself to others, I've taken offense and let it stir inside me - those sins corrupt the good inside our hearts and harden us. When our hearts become hardened, we're unable to receive what God is sending us, whether it be blessings, favor, grace or mercy - we're just not able to receive what God has for us, because we have blocked ourselves off from God, intentionally or unintentionally.  Blocking ourselves from God, turns our hearts to stone and away from God, as if we never knew Him and our thoughts and actions become more like non-believers.

They are blind to true understanding. They are strangers and aliens to the kind of life God has for them because they live in ignorance and immorality and because their hearts are cold, hard stones. (Ephesians 4:18 VOICE)

Social Networking has allowed me to witness other Believer's criticizing their brothers and sisters in Christ, judging them with religious scrutiny, using scriptures that were meant for false doctrine as a weapon against one another. There are more instances in the Bible where we're told specifically NOT to judge one another, yet we harden our hearts by casting stones at others, when we've all fallen short of the glory of Christ. 

We were commanded by Christ to LOVE one another and to go and share the Good News. How can we love one another, when we are busy judging each other? Christians are considered a joke amongst non-believers because we are so wrapped up in ourselves and judging and criticizing others, that we've ignored what Jesus called us to do. If a Believer is sinning and they are your friend and you can talk to them about that sin privately, do so, but otherwise; pray for them, pray that they will recognize their sin, and pray for yourself that you will not be tempted by that sin and that you will not judge them. There are far more lost souls in this world that need to know the love of Jesus!! But instead we point fingers of condemnation towards them and other Believers- the only thing accomplished is their lack of trust in our God because of a hardened hearted Child of God pushing them away.

I'm not saying to look the other way - there are terrible sins happening like abortion; this is something that is undeniably wrong and against God's Word - but that doesn't mean we ignore our Christian values when we stand up to this evil, there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Pray for how you are called to respond to these sins, don't give in to your flesh, spend time with God and He will show you the way.

Read Romans 12:2, I've posted the link to some of my favorite Bible versions of this powerful scripture, it's so much to meditate on, it really is the renewing of the mind...

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

(Romans 12:2 NLT, AMP, VOICE, EXP, MSG versions)

If every Believer would pray and meditate on the issues that seem to divide the church, there wouldn't be any division, because God doesn't send different messages to His children. The Holy Spirit tells us one thing.  There are so many times when I've posted on my blog and then gone to church only to have my Pastor speak on the same subject, and to have a friend from another state say the same thing - why, because the Holy Spirit is in constant communication with God and if we allow ourselves to receive from God, we'll receive the same message.  Jesus told us that He was sending the Holy Spirit to encourage, comfort and guide us - but somehow we've forgotten His words and need to get back to the path that was laid before us.

"If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." (John 14:15-17 NLT)

When it’s all About You, You’re Living Wrong

This Christian life isn’t about what can you do for me, it’s about what can I do for God and others. If we’re taking offense at someone’s words or actions, that means it’s all about us; it’s all about what just happened to us . When we take offense, we’ve allowed bitterness into our hearts.  When we think or dwell on that bitterness, it begins to take root in our hearts. When we allow bitterness to take root, we stop allowing God’s love to fill our hearts.  When we’ve stopped God’s love growing in our hearts, our hearts begin to harden and constrict, and we’re not able to expand our hearts and grow our love for others. With our hearts hardened we’re controlled by our flesh and its worldly desires, instead of, the love that God wants us to share.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (Galatians 5:24 NLT)

We’re not here to see what we can get from God; we’re here to see what we can give to God. He’s already given us His Son along with His righteousness, to be called His adopted children.

For just as by one man’s disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man’s obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him). (Romans 5:19 AMP)

Jesus gave a parable to the people in Matthew 25, about the Master who gave talents (this was a very large amount of money, comparable to 16 years of wages) to each of his three servants. The first and second servant doubled the amount of talents and the third hid the talents. The first two were given more because of what they did with the talents, while the third was tossed into ‘outer darkness’.  The parable represents that the ‘gifts’ or 'responsibilities' that we all have been given to further the Kingdom of God, each person is given a gift from God – whether it be a gift of musical abilities, speaking, teaching, helping others with a service related ability; everyone has something that they can use.  Maybe you have a car and can take others to church with you, maybe you have lots of friends and you can invite them to service, or maybe you have a job skill that you can share with the church. Everyone has something and one day we will all be accounted of how we used those gifts.  Based on how you use those gifts or responsibilities, means whether or not you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” OR cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (quoted from Matthew  5:14-30 NKJV)

The reason we use our gifts isn’t because we’re afraid we’ll be cast into ‘outer darkness’, we use our gifts because our hearts have been enlarged by God and we want to please Him. Yet, we can’t do that if our hearts have been overgrown with bitterness, that bitterness is what caused the third servant to hide his talents – he believed the Master was a cruel and a hard person. 

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Philippians 2:1-4 MSG)

When we’re busy loving others and putting God before ourselves, we’re not comparing ourselves to our neighbor and feeling sorry for ourselves or jealousy. Comparing only leads to thoughts that we're superior or inferior, so either way, we're making it all about us, instead of God. When God is first, our priorities fall into line with God’s plan for our lives and that’s where the blessings are.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. (Galatians 6:4 NLT)

Focus on what you can do for God today and when you’ve given of your heart to God, you will always hear ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”

My Weapons of Mass Destruction

Once we’ve said it, it’s impossible to take it back. We can say we’re sorry, but that doesn’t remove the impact the words created, whether intentional or not, our words can be weapons of mass destruction.  But it's not just our words that can be used to hurt or harm a person, sometimes it’s the words we don’t say as well.

Recently I chose not to say anything after a friend was hurt by something I had said: the problem was, I was equally hurt because she took what I had said the wrong way –  we both were hurt by something that was never intended to hurt. My biggest mistake in the whole thing was my silence, I chose not to correct the situation and apologize for the miscommunication. What bothers me the most out of this predicament, is that she is a new Believer and I don’t want her taking offense.  I should have spoken out from the beginning and now I’m concerned that my late apology might not be enough for her and the last thing I want is her heart to be hardened by my mistake.

Thank you God that you are a loving, kind, and merciful God. Thank you God, that you allow us to come boldly to your throne of grace and receive your mercy, I pray that you would keep my own heart tender so that I wouldn't take offense, but keep my focus on you, by blessing and encouraging others, and to speak up when I need to.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.   You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  (Philippians 2:1-5 NLT)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week is upon us, Thanksgiving is an American tradition where we acknowledge all that we’re thankful for.  It’s become a tradition that many people don’t realize that it was natural in the days of the Pilgrims to have a day of Thanksgiving after a harvest, it was a custom to give thanks to GOD for their blessings. So much was it custom for people to recognize where their bounty came from that during the Civil war, Abraham Lincoln instituted Thanksgiving as national holiday. Below is part of the Proclamation that President Lincoln wrote when he issued our national observation of Thanksgiving day:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God…..

 No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union."

What I love about Thanksgiving, is so many people publicly acknowledge what they are thankful for, even on Facebook, people have been posting everyday a different reason for their thanks. Being thankful is so important, when we stop and give thanks we are no longer focusing on our problems, situations, issues or anything negative that we are experiencing. Instead our focus is now on, what we have received as a blessing, and when your focus is on the positive your heart is able to be enlarged.

When we give thanks, we allow our hearts to soften and not harden. If you’ve read my devotions before, you've read about the dangers of hardening your hearts.  I quoted my Pastor on my Facebook page, Stir Me Up Lord, ‎"When you have confidence in GOD, you focus on the potential and not the problem". When we focus on GOD; our thanksgiving will increase, when we acknowledge GOD as our source, when we give HIM all the praise and thanksgiving that HE deserves, that’s how and when everything falls into place. I love the Message translation of 2 Corinthians 9:8-9, “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.”

“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.” (Psalm 107:21-22 NLT).Here the Bible tells us to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, a sacrifice means giving up something of value. The ‘value’ means that our thanksgiving is of ‘value’ to HIM. The fact that we are ‘giving up’ something is the part where it’s not easy on our part, which makes it all the more valuable to GOD. When we stop and give thanks to GOD, we are acknowledging HIM, we are putting our focus on HIM, and we are giving our time to HIM.  

When our hearts are hardened we are no longer able to give thanks, we begin to have the mindset that everything we have is of our own merit and our own hard work.  Our focus is negative, unable to see the light in any situation. We begin to become callous and stiff, unable to see the good, instead we start focusing on the bad and develop a poor attitude towards life and everyone around. We think we are owed; that we deserve this or that, to the point where giving anything, much less offering thanks becomes almost impossible.

There is only one incurable condition in the whole Bible; that is the heart that has become so hardened that it will no longer listen, it is full of rebellion, stubbornness, and self-righteousness. Pharaoh was a good example of a man so full of himself and his pride; he refused to listen to any wisdom or counsel. How many plagues were set upon Egypt and he kept his heart hardened, Exodus 8:15 “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” Each time a plague was delivered, Pharaoh would tell Moses that he would let his people go if GOD would stop the plague, GOD would end the plague and Pharaoh would forget the ‘source’ of his relief and go back on his word. Pharaoh was seeing miracles, he would even admit that the events were from GOD himself, and yet he would stiffen his neck, rebel against all that he saw and believed, yet still he refused to obey GOD.  This constant hardening of his heart, led to Pharaoh’s destruction, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1 NKJV)

The key to being tenderhearted is thanksgiving, if we are continually thanking GOD we are keeping our hearts pliable, moldable, and we are able to enlarge our hearts for GOD.   “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15) I’ve written before on this verse and the act of sacrifice, but right now I just want to point out that we are to ‘continually’ offer thanksgiving of praise to GOD.  Continually, means we are always offering thanksgiving, not just once a year, or even just at meal times (saying grace).

A good start to continually giving thanksgiving, is to practice this, Psalm 119:164 (MSG), “Seven times each day I stop and shout praises for the way you keep everything running right.”  My pastor’s wife, said when she started doing this, at first it wasn’t natural to her to do this seven times a day, but after a while it became habit and just second nature for her.  Today is my first day to undertake this task, they say after 21 days most people are able to form a habit from a routine, so hopefully I will be posting that in 21 days the results of my new ‘habit’. If you are not in the habit of always thanking GOD (not just when things are going right, but during the typical day to day activities, and even the tougher times), would you consider joining me in giving thanksgiving to the Lord seven times a day?