3/25/18 Luke 19
The Heart wants what the heart wants.
Have you ever heard that saying? To some degree, it’s true. Our hearts, left on their own, do have a preference, even a strong pull in many areas. Are these just feelings or are they deeper than that? Are they actual orientations or what might be most comfortable apart from any other influence?
Some areas of life are more driven by the heart than others. And some are not of great significance. Sometimes someone will ask me, who are you rooting for in the game Sunday? When it’s not a game important to me I’ll say, we’ll see. I really don’t know but I can tell once the game starts who I am rooting or cheering for. It’s no longer a decision I’m making in my mind. My heart cheers! My heart chooses.
Sports is such a big deal in our culture. One could say it stands as a god - or goddess if you’d like. Sports has always been a big deal to me, sometimes bordering on idolatry. No one is more competitive than me, to my own detriment at times. Now in some reading this, that competitive spirit is rising up in you to challenge whether you’re more competitive than me. But I am. I’m sure of it.
Ha! That’s just click bait without your having to click anything! Being competitive can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing depending on the arena. There is a place for it and places where it does not belong. Unfortunately our hearts can be held captive to our competitiveness. In such cases our hearts must be informed by truth and better information. Within the kingdom of God there really is no room for competitiveness. The only realm where it may well be appropriate to compete is against sin and its lackey, the devil.
Until my heart is made new, I will never sit down and cheer for the Eagles. It just will not happen. I can’t. My heart says, ‘No’. I am a Cowboys’ fan. Even if my mind says, ‘Cheer for them, it will help the Cowboys’ chances to make the playoffs, I can’t do it. I’ve tried. I like many on the current Eagles’ roster. No matter. I could make some outward noises that sound like I’m pro-Eagles, but my heart won’t really be in it.
My heart has changed over the years regarding teams I’ve championed, based on information that changed my mind and therefore my heart. That data does not exist for the Eagles. Not yet anyway. But really, it’s a matter of little importance in reality. That is a proper perspective to hold. My stomach has been turned in knots for days or longer following crushing losses for my beloved teams. I’ve got it down to hours now… It just isn’t worth the aggravation or the false sense of elation when my teams have won. But it really isn’t a matter that is all that important despite what fanatics would say. And it shouldn’t matter to anyone, but the sad part is that it does and does far too much across the board (not in just my isolated case with the Eagles).
But there are matters of the heart that MUST BE informed by truth so that our hearts can change. It is literally a matter of life and death. We are called to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind.
So we must have our hearts renewed and cleansed by the blood of Christ in order to have an eternity that can only be imagined by those who love Him.
What are some matters of the heart that are not harmful and don’t need to be so informed by truth?
What are matters that must be informed by truth?
