Matters of the Heart

It’s now February. And no, this isn't a Valentine's Day message.

Most of the year lays ahead of us. Momentum is building. But on what foundation is that momentum being built? Are God-honoring motives at the core? As you contemplate and cast your vision outward, are you testing your heart and your motives? Have you asked God to examine your heart? A small group of Christian Business leaders with whom I meet and with whom I serve as a facilitator for "Truth @ Work" recently focused on the core reality of King David – he had a heart after God - and God knew it - and God delighted in David. Here's what else we discussed:

God delights in you – His creation – fearfully and wonderfully made in His image! He wants us to wallow and wonder in that and proclaim His glory. That's the core of the intimate relationship God wants with each of us through His Son Jesus Christ.

God measures us by the movements of our hearts. How does your heart respond to His love and the promptings of His Holy Spirit? How does it respond to sinful impulse? If we can fully embrace the notion that God truly delights in us, such a self-identity will lead to an intimacy with God that produces steadiness in prosperity and adversity.

Pastor Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City said this about how our sin nature will influence the way we handle success if we have not guarded our heart against it; “When honor increases it causes the heart to be glad and stumble into pride. When honor decreases it causes the heart to be sad and it stumbles into bitterness and complaining.” How does your heart respond?

“Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth. A stranger and not your own lips.” ~ Proverbs 27:2

If our heart is not right, in prosperity we will draw away from God and only in adversity will we seek Him. So as Psalm 37:4 states; “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

A recent blog post by Os Hillman puts a good perspective on this;

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. - Psalm 127:1a

Imagine spending years building an expensive home with the finest materials and craftsmanship. It is a work of art, and the project is almost complete. As the day arrives to move in, a building inspector arrives and hands you a notice that condemns your beautiful home because it doesn't meet code. Many Christian workplace believers who invest years in their businesses will one day stand before the Lord and realize they were building the house, not the Lord. God is very picky about motives behind the actions. Before we act, we must ask why? Why are we doing what we are doing? Has God called us to this task? Or is the real motive purely financial? Or control. Or prestige. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).

David learned this principle by the end of his life. Throughout his life he had learned that God always tested him to find out what was in his heart, and what his motive was in his actions. David instructed his son to "...acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts" (1 Chron. 28:9a).

"Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org"

As we seek success in our endeavors we must indeed guard our hearts from the ill effects of success when we achieve it. And achieve we should – with a heart after God.      

And what is success? Is it not luxuriating in the unconditional intimate love and delight of God in us? Picture David, the King of Israel, dancing and singing naked before the Ark.  Scandalous!

Blessings,

Bill