Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Chapter 6

The whole.

I think we tend to compartmentalize our lives or don’t give enough thought to how one thing relates with the whole. Our spiritual life is only about times when we are doing spiritual things. That my body is a separate entity from my emotions or relationships. That stress in my relationships doesn’t do something to me spiritually or that my emotional life gets undone when I am physically sick or hurting.

The chapter is trying to help us establish that link between all parts of us AND that spiritual formation in Christ leads to a better place for all of those compartments as well.

“ The result is the love of God with all our heart, soul, mind,and strength… Each piece of that will be a source of strength or weakness to the whole person depending on the condition it is in… a person who is prepared and capable of responding to the situations of life in ways that are good and right… are persons under the direction of a well-kept heart.”

The phrase in there is the “well-kept heart.” When do I know if I have a well-kept heart?

Psalm 86:11 “Teach me your way o Lord that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that may fear your name.”

Psalm 17:3 “Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed”

Psalm 19:14 “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 27:3 “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”

Psalm 51:17 “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

And on and on it could go. Go to Bible gateway and look up the word heart then read anywhere or skip down to Psalms.

There’s no deception worse than self-deception. There’s nothing that offers more freedom than absolute honesty in a relationship. When we get to the point where these verses are more than words on a page but the honest desires at the core of our being then we have the fertile ground of a well-kept heart. That ground will grow some pretty radical stuff that will bring His life to all parts of us.