7 DAYS OF GUEST BLOGGING [DAY 2]: Teaching Your Heart To Love Christ

duality 

|d(y)oōˈalitē| noun an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something; a dualism

ORIGIN late Middle English : from late Latin dualitas, from dualis

All day, every day we battle. This battle isn’t physically seen or at most times, not even physically felt.  This is because the soldiers in this battle are not men, but spirits, thoughts.  The battlefield is not a geographical location, but the mind itself.  Right vs. wrong.  Spirit vs. flesh.  God’s will vs. our own will.

When I made the decision to follow Christ, God replaced my “heart of stone” with a “heart of flesh,” (Ezekiel 36:26); a heart that desires after and craves for the things that He desires after and craves for. At that crucial point in time, the old had passed away, behold the new had come (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Awesome!  So this means that now life will be easy!  No more worrying about the devil, doing the wrong thing, facing any more difficulties, right?  Right?  Unfortunately, this is sometimes the message preceding an altar call or a plea to accept Christ.  People figure it sounds good, repeat the prayer, and afterwards when faced with adversity, decide that this “Christ thing” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and abandon ship.  In actuality, the acceptance of Christ is not an “easy fix.”  A genuine self-awareness of our own sin nature and how we not only want but need Christ will bring us to true repentance and understanding.

So back to duality.  I can’t think of anyone who said it better than Paul in Romans 7:15:  “For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate […] Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  I want to serve Christ.  But what if I miss out on fun?  I want to treat all people with respect.  But what if they disrespect me?  I want to glorify God in all that I do.  But what if it’s at the cost of my popularity with others?  These thoughts all come in our own voice, but in reality, the thoughts we entertain either come from God or they don’t.

DC TALK - IN THE LIGHT

In Ephesians 6, Paul lets us in on a little secret when he shares with us the “armor of God.”  He reminds us that it isn’t mom, dad, siblings, a co-worker, teacher, or random driver on the road who is the problem.  We don’t war against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places (the mind).  In James 3, James also reminds us of another weapon that we possess:  the tongue.  Unfortunately, we find ourselves using our tongues for a dual purpose.  “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be so.  Does spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?  Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs?  Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water” (v. 10-12).

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

·      Out of the abundance of the mouth, the heart speaks (Luke 6:45).

·      He that keeps his mouth keeps his life (Proverbs 13:3).

The heart is the key to all of this.  We must guard it, protect it, and most importantly teach it to love the things of God.  Attempting to overcome this feat alone would be impossible, but with God all things are possible!  Through Jesus, God has already given you the heart of flesh that you need and a new spirit.  Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all else will be added unto you.  This won’t be easy.  Our flesh will not like it.  In Galatians 5:24, it says that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Doesn’t sound too pain-free.  But always remember that you do not walk alone, and that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is with you every step of the way.  And His name is Jesus Christ.  Lean not unto your own understanding, and trust Him with all your heart.

GUEST BLOGGER FOR DECEMBER 26TH: AMANDA