My Son, Give Me Your Heart
(Prov. 23:26)
We live in a day when it
is common to hear that someone had their heart broken
because their beloved team lost a close game. Or perhaps
someone fell out of love with someone and had their heart
broken. Every week we can see episodes where people give
their heart to a new lover in a TV dramatic series.
Recently, Frank Gifford gave his heart to his mistress and
had every detail splashed over the pages of a tabloid for
the world to see infuriating his wife Kathy Lee Gifford.
Whoever has one’s heart controls that person.
However, the Lord wants us to give Him our heart as the one
we love, worship and obey above all others. The heart is the
seat of worship, commitment and affection. Whoever we give
our heart to determines our primary allegiance. The
following are some guidelines for giving your heart
completely to the Lord:
Song: Take my heart Oh God. Make it ever new. Take my heart
Oh God. Let me be like You. You are the Potter. I am the
clay. Mold me and make me. This is what I pray.
1. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS ATTRIBUTES - Praise the Lord for His
love, fulfillment and full satisfaction. David wrote, "In
your presence is fullness of joy and in your right hand are
pleasures forevermore." (Psa 16:9-11) The more we praise
God for His grace, joy, and satisfying presence the more our
heart will fall in love with Him.
2. GIVE THANKS - Thank God that He heals the brokenhearted
and sets the captives free. (Isa 61:1,2) Make a list of all
the many wonderful things God gives you: your redemption,
love, forgiveness, faith, purpose, plans, provisions,
prospects, protection, hope, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Be
thankful for the good things you have the good things you
have are for many just a dream. So be thankful for the good
things that you have.
3. MEMORIZE AND MEDITATE - Hide God’s word in your heart.
The Psalmist wrote, "How can a young man keep his way
pure, by keeping it according to your word. Your word have I
hid in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psa
119:9,11) Meditate on God’s word by memorizing it, reflect
on it and apply it to your life in all ways.
4. GUARD YOUR HEART - Guard your heart with all diligence
for out of it flows the issues of life. (Prov. 4:23) Learn
to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Be devoted
to one another in brotherly love giving preference to one
another in honor. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction
and faithful in prayer. Know that the devil and all that is
evil seeks to steal, slaughter, kill and destroy your heart
but only Jesus can give you life abundantly. (John 10:10)
Take up the full armor of God so you can stand in the evil
day. Put on the breastplate of righteousness to guard your
heart. (Eph. 6:10-18)
5. BE HAPPY - A happy heart makes the face cheerful but
heartache crushes the spirit. (Prov. 15:13) Be happy in the
Lord by singing songs and taking a walk so you can meditate,
pray and worship the Lord with your whole heart, soul,
strength and mind. Make a conscious effort to rejoice in the
Lord always. Remember that the joy of the Lord is your
health, strength and recharger of your heart. (Neh. 8:10)
6. SEEK DISCERNMENT. "The discerning heart seeks knowledge
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly." (Prov. 15:14) Gain
discerning knowledge by listening to Godly people and
putting into practice what you are learning. "But solid food
is for the mature who because of practice have their senses
trained to discern good and evil." (Heb. 5:14)
7. UNDERSTAND THE TENDENCIES OF YOUR HEART - Know that the
heart is subtle, deceitful and full of deadly wickedness. (Jer
17:9) Do not trust your heart, but only God and His word.
Many people who try to trust their own intuition, feelings
and heart felt emotions are led into self-destructive
practices, thinking and attitudes.
8. REMEMBER SOLOMON’S TRAGIC MISTAKE - "As Solomon grew old,
his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart
was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of
David his father had been." (I Kings 11:4) The older we get
the more we have to continue to press on for the upward call
in Christ Jesus and fight the good fight of faith as Paul
did. Otherwise, we all tend to fall into complacency and
drift into whatever is comfortable.
9. BE DISCRETE WITH YOUR HEART’S SPEECH - Jesus said, "Make
a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad
and its fruit will be gad. for a tree is recognized by its
fruit... For otu of the overflow of the heart the mouth
speaks. The good man brings good things out of good stored
up in him but the evil man brings evil things out of the
evil stored up in him." (Matt 12:33-35)Develop Godly
character and let it flow in all aspects of your
conversations and relationships. This means spend plenty of
time in God’s word every morning asking the Lord to fill
your heart with what is true, noble, pure, lovely,
excellent, admirable and praise-worthy. (Phil. 4;8)
10. DO NOT LET OTHERS BREAK YOUR HEART - Be strong in the
Lord and in the power of His might. (Eph. 6:10) James Taylor
wrote, "They’ll break your heart if you let them, but don’t
you let them. You just call out my name and you know
wherever I am, I’ll come running to see you again. Winter,
spring, summer or fall. All you’ve got to do is call and
I’ll be there, to see you again." That is the way Jesus
comes to each of us if we will call upon in prayer. Realize
that there are many mean people who like to project their
anger, hurt or frustration on to you. Do not let them break
or hardened your heart.
11. BE PURE IN HEART - Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they will see God." (Matt 5:8) Ask the Lord to
cleanse your heart, mind, soul, and body so you can be pure
within and without enabling you to have a more intimate
communion with the Lord. Without purity of motives we cannot
see God or experience the revealing of His will to our mind,
will and emotions.
12. GIVE GOD THE BURDENS OF YOUR HEART - "Cast all your care
upon Him for He cares for you." (I Pet. 5:7) After you have
suffered for a little while realize that the God of all
grace who calls us will Himself confirm you and make you
strong, firm and steadfast. Take your burdens to the Lord
and leave them there. Quit worrying about that which you
cannot control. Pray, "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things
I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
13. BE OF ONE HEART WITH GODLY BELIEVERS - In Acts 4:32 it
was said, "All the believers were of one heart and mind and
they glorified God." Ask the Lord to give you friends, godly
companions and Christians to be unified with those who call
upon the Lord from a pure heart. Pursue righteousness,
godliness, love, faith and peace with godly people in
Christian fellowship and service. You will tend to become
like the people you most associate with.
14. LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART - Jesus said, "You shall
the love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and
mind and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27) Put away
all the loves of the world, the lust of the flesh and the
pride of life as these are false gods. Love the Lord more as
you speak the truth in love and grow up into all aspects
into Christlikeness.
Paul Fritz