Underneath it all – By Suresh Joel
The sermon was about the motives of our heart in our Christian walk and the preacher began with stating that God is not interested in outward things but your heart.
The Bible has many instances where God did not fix the behavior of people but their heart because if it is fixed, rest all is taken care of.
Hebrews 4:12 mentions that the word of God is a two-edged sword that cuts straight through and knows the intentions of a person’s heart. Jeremiah 17: 9-10 tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately sick but God searches the heart. Matthew 15:18 says, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.” These verses convey the importance of what is in a person’s heart.
The preacher also explained a Frank Outlaw quote and asked us to watch our thoughts because:
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
He said the Bible talks a lot about tongue, mouth, lips.. which are all a reference to ‘words’. It is important to watch what you say and there is no room for loose talk in Christian life. Such words come from what people have in their heart. Don’t treat symptoms but rather fix the root cause. There is no point in fixing symptoms repeatedly. We do this but the Bible has incidents where God fixed the heart.
Spiritual warfare and battle is actually in thoughts/mind. The mind is the battlefield where God and Satan have a fight to take control. So it is very important to fix your motives.
A practical remedy for this is to use the
Root Cause Analysis to diagnose the main issue. Ask why you do something and then for each answer, keep asking why. The preacher tried this with a friend named Aman and they both discovered that his breakfast snack was always salad as his dad died 15 years ago due to unhealthy lifestyle. Do this exercise. Keep asking why to know how you are hardwired, what drives you.
When you know what drives people, you can motivate them. Most people are not even aware what motivates them. You don’t know your heart and what drives you. Matthew 15:18 says, ‘Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks’. Proverbs 26:23 mentions smooth words. If some people talk sweet, doesn’t always mean their heart is good. The importance of keeping our heart pure can be gauged from the fact that Proverbs 4:23 instructs us that above everything else guard your heart. The psalmist requests God in 51:10 to create in him a clean heart.
There are Bible stories where we feel God is not fair because we see the behavior but God sees the heart. Let see some of these stories.
Cain and Abel
One person’s sacrifice is accepted other’s is not. God sees intentions of the heart. We see actions. Abel was accepted. Hebrews 11:4 says that by faith, he brought a better offering. Abel brought the best and first fruit. No such thing is said about Cain. How do we bring our offering? With a cheerful heart or because we to have to bring it?
Jacob and Esau
Genesis 25: 27-29
Why God chose Jacob instead of Esau? He sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Jacob (means cheat), made full use of the situation. Esau did not value what he had. Cried bitterly and repented but din’t get blessings. Do you value what God has given? Or would you sell it for something insignificant like a bowl of soup? Anything that makes life convenient? Despite the birthright God has given you?
Saul and David (Plan A and Plan B)
David made many more mistakes than Saul did. Saul was a lot taller than anyone else. Handsome, well built, fit for the role of a king. Very humble. Went hiding as he dint want to be anointed. God called him and then rejected him for David whose actions are much worse than Saul’s actions. God says I do not look at outward appearance but the heart. David, God said, was a man after His own heart.
Daniel
17-year old taken into exile resolved in his heart to not defile himself. God blessed him and till 80 plus years of age, he was in command in Babylon.
Peter and Judas
John 12:6
Peter truly betrayed Jesus three times. Judas kisses Jesus, and pointed this is Jesus. Peter did much worse if we look at actions but the writer says his heart was wrong.
We want to associate a bad person with an action. But God looks at the heart. He is not interested in our life on this earth but our character for eternity. We can never judge any other person because we can never know their real motive.
We need to ask ourselves: What/Who drives us? Devil or God? Fear? Guilt and Shame? In India, these are the major drivers in the culture. What will friends think of you? What will parents and teachers say? Fear they will beat you! If we do the why exercise, we will find these two factors drive us.
God save you if you do things in ministry due to fear or shame as your heart is not right. You will be happy only if God gives you the drive. The following are some factors that drive people:
Pride
It’s very easy to find bad in others rather than in yourselves. To be something that will make them appear good. Couples separate to earn and maintain standards. End up doing things that please others. To be better than cousins, siblings, and friends.
Jealousy
Pictures posted on FB then another person competes and posts. You compare and feel bad if the other person is happy. All for other people who don’t like you and whom you don’t like!
Convenience
The preacher confessed that comfort is his idol. He tends to take the path of least resistance so that everything is at peace, with no confrontation. Status quo can be maintained.
Purpose
Sense of acceptance – rejecting my rejection. Anything to be loved by people. Let us understand that no one can love us more than Jesus.
Mission
Satisfaction from my work. Missionary becomes more important than mission.
The only thing that should drive us is love. Only when we realize what God has done for us (John 3:16). Love drives God so this and nothing else should drive us.
Reflection by Shubha Jha