The Heart
April 27th, 2007 by Patricia Bishop
It is my sincere desire in sharing my experience with you the readers, that this article will help you to quickly recognize that God and only God knows the heart of man. If you are facing situations where others are depending on you or perhaps you are in a position of ministry, this article is for you. I left out names and specific details yet in its simplicity you will still grasp the meaning of the Fathers love.
In your life, is there someone you dearly love (a spouse, a child, a sibling, a parent or a friend) who has a situation in their life where they are trying to overcome something that requires you to help them? Perhaps it is in your own household and you have no choice but to be involved. Sometimes these are small situations and sometimes they can be so serious that your loved ones life is hanging in the balance.
What do you do when you have done everything that you know to do and you find yourself mentally and physically exhausted? Have you ever gone the extra mile, depleted all of your resources and yet you see no change or worse they plunge in deeper in spite of your every effort? This is what I have experienced and wish to share with you.
In the beginning, I started out great. I approached the entire situation with a positive attitude. I earnestly prayed for my loved one and when at all possible “with them”. I continually encouraged them in-spite of their failures. Simply put, I loved them.
Hind-sight is 20/20! As time went on and all my efforts seemed futile, I too began to adopt a negativity about me. I found myself getting perturbed with them. I was exhausted and they kept requiring more and more of my time and efforts and yet to me, I saw no effort on their part to help their situation. After all, this was their problem not mine, why weren’t they leaning on their own breakfast? Why should I work so hard to help you, when you won’t help yourself?
I remember having thoughts within my heart and mind like, if they really had a relationship with God they would have already overcome. They couldn’t possibly be praying or communicating with God, no way! I don’t think they really want help, this is all for attention! Maybe I’m just waisting my time! I never spoke this to them but I was having these full-blown conversations in my heart. I didn’t realize at that time that God was listening to my every word and thought.
In my self-righteousness, I was even thinking that I was doing God a service by helping them! I had plans to completely wash my hands of this problem and turn them over to God. Pretty much tell them “sink or swim”. In my last effort of aid before dropping them like a lead brick and going on my merry way, God began to speak to me and show me myself as He seen me, OUCH!
I had started out right, my motivation was love but I ended up wrong. I was no longer willingly helping them but was motivated by a sense of obligation and duty. God spoke to me and said “STOP JUDGING THEM, I KNOW THEIR HEART, YOU DON’T”. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY THINK ON ME, MY KINGDOM OR IF THEY TALK TO ME OR NOT, BUT I KNOW”.
He continued, and let me ponder on; What if I became weary with you? What if,you don’t progress as quickly as I think you should and I give up on you? What if I decided not to forgive you any longer? What if I tell you that if you fail one more time that is it, no more chances? What if I withhold my love from you and become angry with you? What if I show you no more mercy?
It didn’t take long for me to get the point! I needed to repent, turn around and get back to the love that should have been my motivation all along. I wept bitter tears and was sorry for the thoughts I had and extremely thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who never gives up on me or anyone else. I started to show them love, the same love in which Jesus loved me and guess what? They responded and their deliverance came much sooner.
Folks hear me now, let us let God be judge. Let us remember that He alone knows every individuals heart and that we don’t. (Jeremiah 17:10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins. We are but His servant, not His Lord. He instructs us, we do not instruct Him. Let us strive with diligence to grasp hold of His great love and love others as He loves us. Life is so much less stressful that way.
I’m reminded of the scripture in (James 5:19-29) Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
It is a full-time job guarding our own heart and keeping our thoughts in subjection to Jesus Christ.
(II Corinthians 10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
So let us all remember that our duty is to love God and our neighbor as ourself because we just flat out, straight and simple do not know the heart of anyone else, only God Himself.
In closing let us remember the words of Jesus;
(Matthew 22:37-40) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
May God bless you to learn of His great love;
As I continue my journey with Him,
Patty Bishop