The Heart Matters

 

I read an article titled What God Talks About by Phillip Snyder. In the article he shares that in his early twenties he spent a lot of time focusing on the problems within Christianity and he was quite vocal about it. Then one day his heart was changed while reading John 17 verses 20-23: 

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and has loved them, as thou hast loved me."

The context of these verses was not lost on Mr. Snyder. Jesus is praying to the Father right before He is to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, and then the cross. This is the last time he would pray with the eleven (Judas had already left to betray him). Contemplating this moment in Jesus' life, Mr. Snyder asked himself, "At this crucial moment in His life what does Jesus pray for?" He prayed for us to be united. 

This led Mr. Snyder to present two questions: Do you talk about unity often? Is unity in the Church a priority for you, a desire that you share with Jesus? He came to the conclusion that his words didn't sound like Christ's. He decided he needed to change his heart to change his words and actions to be more in line with Jesus' goal of unity.

These two questions really made me think about my own words and actions. Lately, I have found myself struggling with the negatives in this world and I have been more verbal about my feelings. The problem is I haven't always felt like my words were productive. Sometimes I have to stop and check myself to see if I'm adding to the problem or creating an opportunity for a solution. I can get so riled up that my heart is no longer in a good place, and I can feel the tension it brings. I've had to say the short prayer "Lord, please make my heart a better place. Amen." many times. 

In my efforts to be intentional I really want to work on having a more intentional heart, a heart more in tune with Jesus. A heart that leads to words and actions that reflect His teachings of unity. I think my heart is easily swayed towards contention and that creates disunity.

I have felt like Jesus' rebuke to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:33-37 is meant for me lately:

"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

There is a reason the heart is mentioned 826 times in the Bible. The heart matters. Here's a few teachings on the heart:

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). 

Unity Goal: Sometimes we create our own issues. Our hearts are powerful, when we have an angry or frustrated heart, we use angry and frustrated words, which have proven many times NOT to help the situation. When we have a heart filled with love and understanding, we tend to use loving words and actions. This is the goal.

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." (Proverbs 15:13). 

Unity Goal: How many times have the words from our hearts made someone's day better or worse? Our words have a powerful effect on the people around us. We (I) need to be intentional in my words and actions to make sure I am leaving others better than I found them.

"An understanding heart seeks knowledge" (Proverbs 15:14)

Unity Goal: I like this one a lot. If I use my heart to seek knowledge about those around me, to better understand their heart and situation, then I can choose the words and actions that lead to the best outcome.

I'll say it again, the heart matters! 

I really like the quote: "Let your words be the genuine picture of your heart." by John Wesley. I think that's the short version of what Jesus was trying to teach. I need to put this somewhere I can see it often as a reminder.

This takes me back to John 17:23 and what Jesus was praying for. There are a few things that stood out to me pertaining to Jesus' goal of unity:

...that they may be made perfect in one - We will not reach perfection alone. We need each other. We rely on each other on our path towards perfection. Our spiritual growth is intertwined in each other's hearts. We must be united to reach perfection.

...that the world may know that thou hast sent me - When our hearts are in the right place our words and actions testify of Christ. We need to be unified in our behavior so that others can recognize who Christ is and what He has done and can do for them. 

...and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me - The goal is to have a heart like Christ and to share that love so that we reaffirm His love for each of us in every contact that we have. It's a tall order, and we will make mistakes, but He still loves us, in spite of our imperfections. We need to have a heart like that.

These are the things I want to work on. I want to have a better heart and bring unity. I want to be an answer to Jesus' prayer. I want to make the world a better place, less negative, more positive, and it starts in my heart.