An Open Heart

Mark 12:30 (ESV) shares a foundational truth for those who follow the Lord. It says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” I love this verse because it calls us to worship and follow God from every aspect of our being.

God designed us dynamically. We are more than thoughts floating around in a skin suit. We have thoughts, desires, emotions, longings, sensations, and more. Heart, soul, mind, and strength are all parts of what make us human, and God desires that we love him in all of these ways.

That means that we cannot get by just doing works for the kingdom. We also have to sit and ponder his word and make sure our thought life honors him. Similarly, we cannot just soak in his presence and feel his goodness. We have to make sure that our worship is responsive through our whole being.

That being said, I have found that the heart can be the hardest to connect in worship and prayer. Part of that could be the way previous and current generations do church. In many ways, worship and faith have moved heavily into the mind and strength category while drifting away from the heart and soul.

But God desires heart and soul worship. Consider Jeremiah 31:3 ESV, which says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” God’s love is deeper than we could imagine.

This morning I am thinking about all of the heart invitations that we have from the Lord. I’ll name a few you may have heard. Jeremiah 29:13 ESV says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Proverbs 3:5 ESV says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

There are many more references to the heart, but I want us to consider how open and prepared we are today to say yes in our hearts. There is a place for work and intellection, but often God just wants us to open our hearts. Will you take that risk today? You might want to get in touch with your heart, see how things are going, and ask the Lord to help you along the way.

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