your HEART...God does know your heart
Your Heart ..God does know your Heart,
HEART is all about ATTITUDES
and so do many of your acquaintances
The question is, do you know it, or are you hiding it from yourself ???
What are we really talking about ??
So frequently used in the Bible, it is important to know the intended use of the word ' heart ' .
Just as the word 'son' does not have the same meaning today,
as it did 400 years ago when the King James Bible was compiled,
neither does the word 'heart', today, have the same understanding as it was intended then.
Today ' heart ' is best understood when the words
' attitudes and motive'
is used in it's place
you see...God does know your attitude about things
and many of your friends also know your attitudes,
after all, you show your attitudes by what you do
as well as what you say Mt 12:34 15:18 Lk19:22
Now, are you willing to openly consider your own attitudes,
and are you willing to admit to yourself, what they are ????
or will you continue to hide yourself behind the word ' heart' ???
rather than have a better understanding of what God expects of you Mt 20:28
" Your attitude should be the kind that was shown to us by Jesus..." Phil 2: 5 TLB
BY Command,
God expects you to love Him more than ANYTHING else Mk 12:29,
love your neighbor ( the stranger) as you love yourself Mk 12:31
and love your Christian 'brother" as HE loves us Jn 13:34
furthermore, He expects you to forgive ALL Mt 6:14 others who have offended you
The attitudes ( heart ) God desires, can be found in a modern Bible translation of Galatians 5:22
love JOY peace PATIENCE kindness
GOODNESS gentleness FAITHFULNESS
and SELF CONTROL
If these 9 attitudes, the Fruits of the Spirit, are
learned ... understood ... and practiced...
your expressed attitudes ( heart ) , will be what God expects
Once you have developed them through practice,
your attitudes (heart) will not be controlled by your feelings,
then offenses to you will not affect your attitudes
" slow to anger.... Ps 145:8
Being kind, good, gentle, faithful, and forgiving
will be more on a continuing basis,
and you will experience and show
love joy peace and more self-control Gal 5:22
Others will notice a difference in your life....
and you will be able to give God the credit
drawing others to Him*to get the same peace you have
* ( and should be your motive in all things )
........and so God's primary goal is accomplished........
How can these attitudes be developed ???
First by learning the definition of each,
then by making a decision to choose to have each one .
Just as it takes practice to learn to play a musical instrument,
so also it takes practice to develop each one
until it becomes your life style.
When circumstances and emotions become distractions to your decision,
force yourself to redirect your focus on Jesus.....
you will find Paul was right, and you can do what God expects of you,
through Jesus Christ.....
the thought of Him will strengthen you ( Grace),
over-riding your emotions, hurt, and pain from offenses of others.
In time, this reaction to distracting emotions will become your life-style,
and by your focus on Jesus and what He has already gotten you through,
you will flow in the Fruits of the Spirit...His Holy Spirit
and have a Heart ( attitudes) that will not only please God,
but will be seen in you by others, drawing them to Him
Do this...cause others to be drawn to Him...and He will Bless you
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