How Much of Your Heart Belongs to God?

My facebook friend from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Louis Cook, shared this piece and thought provoking question, “How much of your heart belongs to God?

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Ps. 119:12)

Louis defined “whole heart” with these three words.

Intellect.

The intellect, or mind, is our ability to acquire knowledge, think, and reason. In giving us this wonderful ability, God intended us to use it to apprehend truth about Him and about His creation, including ourselves and our relationship to Him. With the intellect, we can be aware of God and understand at least something of His nature and His will.

Emotions

Not only can we know, but we can also have feelings about what we know. And how impoverished we would be without our feelings and our affections! To know about God without having any desire for Him would be a dry and dusty business indeed.

Will.

Our intellect and our emotions were not given for their own sake, but to support our actions. It is with the decision-making ability of our will that we respond to God. And if we do not give God our will by obeying Him, then our knowledge and our feelings are worth little. These things are to move us to godly action.

I would add one more, Conscience.

The conscience, is our moral compass. An internal ethical governor. It can keep you from dangerous and reckless practices. However, the conscience must be kept tender and trained to discern right from wrong. In John 3:20-21 the apostle says that our heart “condemns us.” When we violate our conscience, we have a gnawing sense of being wrong. When we have a heart for God we will not violate our conscience. Instead, like those on Pentecost, our heart will be pricked to ask, “What shall I do?”

Consider these other Bible passages that challenge us to seek and serve God with our whole heart.

Moses exhortation to the children of Israel as they entered the Promised Land. “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

When Hezekiah was told to “set your house in order,” because death was imminent, with bitter tears he prayed: “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.”

David’s advice to Solomon would serve us well today. As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever” (1 Chron. 28:9).

What’s the condition of your heart?

Do you have a divided heart? A soiled heart? A seared heart? A perverse heart? A prideful heart? An evil heart? A deceitful heart? A hard heart?

What’s the condition of your heart?

Do you have a willing heart? An understanding heart? A clean heart? A good heart? An upright heart? A steadfast heart? A blameless heart? A glad heart? A loyal heart?

A current commercial asks, “What’s the condition of your heart?” It’s a relevant question, not only physically, but more importantly spiritually.