Thursday, May 5, 2011

A Clean Heart

Recently, I was playing “doctor” with my dear 4 year old sister. I was the patient, and as she placed the stethoscope to my heart, she said, “Jenna, I am going to clean out the dirt in your heart.”

Her statement really made me think about myself and my life. What kind of fruit is my heart producing? Is my heart clear of worldly sins, and am I giving my heart fully to the Lord? I at least pray and hope so.

“… For You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.”

~ 1 Kings 8:39 ~

Everyday, we get caught up in worldly sins, and it is those sins that can cause our walk with God to start to dwindle. We must strive to live our lives for the glory of God, so that we can avoid the stumbling blocks which confront us.

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

~ 1 Chronicles 16:29 ~

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.”

~ Psalm 115:1 ~

As followers of the Most High God, it is our responsibility to exemplify spiritual maturity, and veer away from the patterns of this world . The Bible warns us that we cannot be both of the world and of God…

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

~ 1 John 2:15-17 ~

So, what can we do each day to fill our hearts with thoughts that are focused on the Lord alone?

Pray- Encouragement from the Lord is just one prayer away. The Bible says to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Speaking with God each day is so important, and we must make it a priority in order to set our minds on things above. {Colossians 3:2}

Read- God’s Word is filled with an abundance of knowledge and truth. The Bible is truly extraordinary. It “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” {2 Timothy 3:16-17}

Personify- By praying to God and reading His Word, it should not be a challenge to personify Christ. As for myself, I want people to recognize me by my godly actions and words. I want to strive to be a mirror image of Christ.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 ~

What a sweet promise… That we will be transformed into the image of Christ. Each day, God is preparing us as we reflect Him, and this is why we must endeavor to personify Christ… So that we may be transformed!

I pray that the Lord will work in each of your hearts, and that He will guide you to become a faithful servant of His.

I pray that God will clean the “dirt” and sin out of our hearts, so that we can be fully focused upon Him.

May your heart remain steadfast upon the Lord!

Girl-Roberto Ferruzzi 
“Girl” by Roberto Ferruzzi

5 comments:

Shannon said...

What sweet thoughts... to remind us of our frailty and sinfulness and urge us to keep giving our heart to the Lord...Thank you dearest friend for you thoughts...

Love In Christ,
~Shannon~

blog said...

I love it when the Lord uses things that children say to make us think! Wonderful application and post, Jenna {and I love the painting you used!}! May the Lord continue to grow us all closer to Himself!

ADDENDUM handmade said...

So sweet! My younger siblings are all teenagers now, and it's kind of sad not to have that sort of thing around anymore.

Sarah said...

Excellent post, Jenna . . . thank you so much for sharing as it blessed and encouraged my heart.

Barbara said...

Hi Jenna,
This is a beautiful post. I have recently found your blog and was wondering what camera and lenses you use? Your photos are amazing.