A Change of Heart Not a Tick List!

We can often be found wanting in our commitment to Jesus, to be made to feel guilty about it and respond with a knee jerk reaction "I must try harder".  We then enter into a relatively short period of putting greater effort into our spiritual disciplines, like bible reading and prayer.  After a while our renewed enthusiasm fades, our resolve diminishes, our disciplines start to slide and then Satan pops up to make us feel guilty all over again.

However much the five principles of prayer, bible reading, fellowship, worship and service were characteristics of the early Christians, they did not cause their devotion to Jesus - they were marks of their devotion to Jesus. 

To be fully devoted to Jesus is not something that happens when we practise these disciplines or follow a list of rules, rather they are the result of a heart truly given over to and devoted to Jesus.  If these disciplines are not present in our lives it raises questions about out devotion to Jesus, but simply reinstating them does not make us a devoted follower - just an obedient one!

Kissing my wife doesn't make me love her, but if I never kissed her, she might wonder if I loved her.  but the more I love her the more I want to kiss her.

As you seek to be fully devoted I want to save you from legalism - "I must do this or that" and from guilt - "I have failed again".  This is how Satan seeks to discourage us.

"Rather I want you to know the intense love that Jesus has for you, that you might fall in love again with him.  Regardless of our previous failures and irrespective of our natural temperaments or personality, God is passionately in love wiih you."

"In order to experience long-term renewal and freedom, we must understand more about how God feels about us and become fascinated with his love for us." 

These words are on the back cover of a book I have found so helpful - "Passion for Jesus" by Mike Bickle.  It is available form the Christian Bookshop or online.

Of course I want us to develop our spiritual disciplines, but more than that I want each one of us to fall deeper in love with Jesus.  This book by Mike Bickle may help you do that - it did me!