Valentine’s Day was this past week. And usually it’s the men who are given a hard time for not remembering or not doing something special enough. But I will admit it- my husband kicked my butt this v-day as he seems to do every holiday. This year he especially went all out to make me feel special. It wasn’t that he bought me a super great gift (well he did that too) but I could just tell that he put his heart into it, he was really thinking of me. And In my book the little acts of service and words that confirm the love and appreciation that is felt, beats a really expensive gift and roses any day. So needless to say I am a very lucky wife.
I always feel like I have a theme for each week and this week my theme was definitely wholeheartedness. I’d open a book or talk to a friend, read an article online and the word just seemed to pop up everywhere. Right now in my studying about hearing from God I learned that if we want Him to speak to us we need to first be set apart. This is where the conviction hit me hard. I’m going on 22 years of being a “Christian” yet my life has so closely resembled the rest of societies. Until recently, there has been nothing major that would make me stand out and show that the God that I love is really different. I wasn’t really serving Him, wasn’t whole-heartedly devoted to Him so why would there be a change? This really hurt me. I was only caring about what our materialistic culture told me to care about, and the more into it I got, the more the truth was completely polluted in my mind. Enter yet another reason to be so thankful for Jesus. He may have intervened but still it’s my choice. I have to choose every day to walk in a way that is going to glorify Him which is not easy.
Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” I like how in the message Bible it says “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention to God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.”
One of the things He promises is that when our hearts are genuinely focused on seeking Him we will find Him. And I’m finally seeing that come true and it’s amazing. He’s not concerned with my religious activity or making sure I’m doing good deeds. He just wants me to have a sincere heart in my journey. He wants whole-hearted dedication. Whole-hearted surrender can be a very difficult thing but it’s the only way to find true peace.
(photo from here)
