Your Actions Or Your Heart

In our pursuit of Jesus I wonder what we are really pursuing most of the time. All through the scriptures there are warnings to guard our heart, WHY? Because, it's from our heart that we are to live for Christ but, truthfully it's easier to give Him our actions than our heart. I often see people that are pursuing what LOOKS like Christianity but, is merely, religious behavior and the problem with religious behaviors is that it can be done really well but have nothing do do with love & passion for Jesus.

Think about it this way, when you and your spouse are in an argument that seems to stretch on for a few days, is it easier when you see each other to do the "right thing" or is it easier to feel love for each other? Is it easier to...

• Say hello, good bye and see ya latter
  
• Stop and pick up the groceries they text you to bring home
• Not yell in front of the kids
  
• Even say "love ya" at night before you role over (even though you say it with a bit of attitude)
  

or is it easier to...

• Feel passion for them
  
• Put their needs ahead of your own
  
• Kiss them tenderly when you see each other
  
• Surprise each other with a gift
• Cuddle and talk about the day before falling asleep
  

The second list is all about the behaviors that extend from the heart where as the first list is all about behaviors that extend from perhaps a sense of duty, or image (don't want to look bad in front of others) or even twisted competition (I'm going to be a better person then they are, I'll show them) but they do not extend from the heart, they do not extend form love.

So often it seems like many Christians relate to Jesus and and the Christian life out of behavior that is more like the couple fighting (doing the right things but with no true love or passion) than the couple truly in love.

It's from our heart that we are to live for Christ but, truthfully it's easier to give Him our actions than our heart

In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah God confronts the people of Israel on this very way of relating to Him when He says to them, "They have turned their backs to me and not their faces."

When your back is facing a person but you're looking at them it still means your entire body is facing another way. It means that you are moving AWAY from the person even if you're looking at them.

See, Israel had gotten good at looking religious and turning to God when it seemed convenient but they had lost their

LOVE for Him

It's about our hearts changing not our actions. LOVE the Lord your God not OBEY your God. The former WILL produce the latter but switch the order and you have either a dead or arrogant faith. A faith that might not even look, bad but a faith in which the passion and love of your heart for Jesus, is not what you're living from.

I wonder what would be different if each day we asked God to increase our love and passion for Him. Are you more attentive to your actions as a Christians or your heart? What would it look like for you to begin to pay more attention to, and give more energy to developing your passion and love for Jesus?