Hammer on Anvil '

Last week I was listening to one of my favorite Gungor songs titled "Every Breath." It is a wonderful reminder that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Reminders can be very sobering, though. As I listened, the Holy Spirit convicted me, and I  began to weep. Then He gently asked, "What do you think it would look like if you loved Me with all that is within you?"

Oh my. What WOULD that look like? What if my heart were totally His? It would mean that I would zealously guard my  heart (Proverbs 4:23) and not allow anyone or anything else to captivate it. God tells us to guard our heart for a good reason: "Everything you do flows from it" (NIV). The New Living Translation says "It determines the course of your life." Jeremiah tells us the heart is "desperately wicked," (17:9), so it seems obvious that if we want our hearts to be entirely God's, it will take some pretty stalwart discipline. Sometimes a gesture as simple as turning off the TV (or computer or phone) can be an act of obedience that shows God you desire to hear Him rather than the noise of the world.

Next is the soul, which involves our will and our emotions. Do you have a strong will that compels you to express every emotion that you feel? Living like that can make you feel like you're being held hostage! Imagine what you could accomplish for the kingdom of God if you turned that strong will over to God for HIS purposes! Turn the clamor of your emotions over to Him as well, and discover that He truly does provide rest for those who come unto Him (Matthew 11:28).

Most of us know that our minds can be a cesspool of unsavory thought processes, which is why Romans 12:2 tells us we can literally be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The New Living Translation says, " Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." How many of us would deny that we'd love to sign up for that?! The catch, though, is that this doesn't happen overnight. God isn't going to just zap us and declare our  minds suddenly renewed. Paul tells us "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) and the best way to know His mind is to devour His Word.

Now on to strength -- how do we love God with all our strength? Take a few minutes now and think about what your strength was spent on yesterday. Was it all expended for God and His purposes? Did you have a keen awareness throughout the day that the Holy Spirit was directing your steps? Or was it a day of hurried and frustrating activity that didn't seem to accomplish much? Some people are critical of spending what they think is TOO much time in prayer, arguing that we need to be "at work" for God. Problems arise when they confuse their ACTIVITY with being in the presence of God.

Second Peter 1:3 says God has given us everything we need to live godly lives. But as in everything else related to our Father, we can only gain access to His blessings by abiding in Him 24-7. Begin your day with Him, reminding yourself that you are not your own -- you have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus! Tell Him you want to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you! He will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). He is the Counselor who will be with us forever (John 14:16). He intercedes for us "with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). Commit your day to the Lord, and He will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:6).

I leave you with this wonderful Gungor song -- may our every breath glorify God this week!