Captured Heart
I remember as a young man thinking I had found love. I remember those butterflies in my stomach when talking to her or hanging out with her. It was new and exciting. I remember not wanting the days to end. My hearts affection was captured then and there. Fast forward a bit and things changed. There were behaviors on her part and my part that changed my heart. I didn’t mean for things to turn out like they did, but love was lost almost as quickly as it was found. I learned a lot about love – what it was and what it wasn’t. My hearts affection is only a part of love. My hearts affection – my minds attention reveal love. I often love myself more than others. I can be self-centered and selfish because I want what I want.
Something happened when the Lord captured my heart. I started looking at others through the lens of His Love for me. It changed how I see others. It changed how I treat others.
Ezekiel was speaking to some of the leaders of the people of Israel who came to where he was. The Lord gave him a message for the leaders, but it was a hard one for them to hear. Check this out….
1Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me, 2 this message came to me from the Lord: 3 “Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? 4 Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. 5 I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.’ (Ezekiel 14:1-6 NLT)
The Lord want my heart and my mind. He wants my mind’s attention and my hearts affection focused on knowing Him and serving Him. The activities of my life follow my heart and my mind. I want to carefully examine my heart for idols that have taken His place in my heart.
My family has been an idol.
My finances have been an idol.
My friendships have been an idol.
These three areas are important to my life, but they do not replace my deep need for the Love of God to permeate my heart. I am a better Dad, son, brother, cousin or distant relative, when my heart is ruled by the Lord instead of my own selfish desires.
I am more generous with my finances when the Lord is King of my heart.
My friendships are deeper and more meaningful when my heart for the Lord is obvious to all those who call me a friend or a colleague.
When the Lord is King of my heart and consistently top of my mind – He changes my perspective on my whole world – my relationships and my day to day circumstances.
Pressing On!
Dwayne