Proverbs 14:20 (Amplified) tells us that, "A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy and wrath are like rottenness to the bones."
Our heavenly Father wants us to have a calm and undisturbed mind and heart. This has been a difficult thing for many to achieve. As we live in a world that's ever changing and moving, we must keep our eyes on Him and not the things around us. This sounds easier than it is. Because we still live in this body and have all these things happening around us, we are easily distracted. This isn't an indication that we don't love God or that we don't care about other people.
Jesus told the parable of the sower in Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) saying, "And the ones sown among the thorn are others who hear the Word, then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless."
This is probably the most common heart condition in today's Church. Notice how Jesus said that the things "creep in." We don't just get out of bed in the morning and find our hearts turned towards other things. They creep in. The fire and desire we had for the things of God when we were first saved get replaced by the cares of life in this world. This isn't a change of heart removing us from God, or better yet, removes God from us. It's not a form of sin or something that cancels our salvation. I have a family who moved out of New York state to another state. I still love them as family, but the longer we're apart, the easier it becomes for my degree of love for them to change. I still love them and they remain my family, but they're not on my mind like they would be if they were here with me all the time.
Jesus said that "He would never leave us or forsake us, but He's be with us always." His love for us is always a now kind of love. Although we're still in Him, we must keep our minds and hearts focused on Him so we don't forget He is here. In Revelations 2:4 (Amplified) Jesus said, "But I have this (one charge to make) against you; that you have left (abandoned) the Love that you had at first (you have deserted Me, your First Love)."
These were still God's people who doing good things that Jesus addressed in the above passage. They hadn't gone back on or given up their walk with God. Now, though, they walked in religion and not life. This was like what Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) tells us, saying, "The things of life in this world, had taken over the life (the new life of the Spirit) and we had allowed the old things to choke out the new life." Jesus said in John 14:27 (Amplified) that, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidation and cowardly unsettled)."
All of the things Jesus spoke of are the "peace that the world gives." It's an unsettled, uncertain and elusive peace. One day it seems all is well and the next day everything changes again. We find ourselves caught up in the life around us instead of the Life Within Us. The temperature is below zero where I live and the fuel prices are higher than ever. Our nation's economy is in serious trouble. The unemployment level is higher than ever and there are more people needing help than I can remember seeing in years. In other words, it wouldn't be difficult for the cares of this world to creep in and choke the Word out.
Isaiah 26:3 (Amplified) says that, "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind (both its inclination and its character) is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, and hopes constantly in You." This is the kind of peace Jesus spoke of in John 14:27 (Amplified) saying that, "If we don't allow the things around us to choke out the truth of the Word within us, then our hearts can be strong and healed." Things are so hectic today that you must make your mind and heart obey the Word above all else. Sometimes this a command you have to give your own self like David did.
We read in Psalm 103:1-2- (Amplified), "Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is (deepest) within me, bless His Holy Name." Verse 2 says, "Bless, (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, o my soul, and forget not (one of) all His benefits." David goes on the next verses, bringing to remembrance to himself what these benefits are.
This is keeping our minds stayed on Him, by which our peace comes. Did you notice how David's heart was speaking to his mind, will and emotions? This was a command he actually made unto himself in order to prohibit the things happening around him from choking out his "First Love."
As Christians, we need to learn how to allow our spirit to rule over our emotions. If our emotions rule, then it becomes easy for "the cares and anxieties of this world to creep in." There are so many things going on around us everyday, that it's a matter of authority in your spirit to rule over them. We must not allow them to rule over our spirit. Proverbs 23:28 (Amplified) says that, "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. In David's day the walls of a city was their protection from the enemy. Such strong walled cities as Jericho were difficult to overthrow. Those who have no rule over their spirit are more open to attack and defeat.
Our heart condition in the spirit is no different than our heart condition in the natural. If we have heart problems, then the doctor will put you on a diet and exercise program and try making you stress free. God's prescription for our heart problem is much the same. Our diet is to feed on His Word more. Our exercise program is leaning on Him and not on our own understanding. To become free of stress we must cast all of our cares on Him. These aren't always easy things to do even when we love God. But, we don't always do the things the doctor instructs for our natural hearts either.
We all know there's more to out new birth and life in God than we are now experiencing. Our Father God wants us to enjoy all the things Jesus gave us by His sacrifice. I believe that our heart condition has allowed the things of the world to choke out what we reached for at our first taste of salvation. Don't allow your heart to condemn you like 1John 3:20-21 (Amplified) says, "Don't allow yourself to walk in guilt and condemnation. God is greater than your heart.
Some people with heart conditions become invalids for life because they're afraid of having another attack. We might not need to alter our activities somewhat to compensate, but we need some exercise. With the spiritual heart condition, we can't allow ourselves to ignore our family and stop taking care of our natural man. But, we cannot allow these things to make us spiritual invalids either. There's a balance Jesus walked in and the apostle did as well. Let God deal with your heart condition and tomorrow will take care of itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment