Pleasing God
As I studied my devotional this morning, something struck me that I had not noticed before. I was studying Matthew 5, which contains the “beatitudes” (or blessings) outlined by Jesus during His sermon on the Mount. I have read the beatitudes before, yet this morning these words struck me a bit differently. On his sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentions blessings and then speaks to the disciples about commandments he has set forth, which include the avoidance of murder, adultery, or divorce. He first presents the law and makes it clear that people know and understand that committing these acts is an act of sin against God. Then, however, he takes it one step further and he tells the disciples that even a thought about that sin is a sin in and of itself. If I’m going to be completely honest, I have read this and questioned why Jesus would be so harsh. Why would it be that He would condemn someone for merely having a thought? Isn’t there a difference between having an adulterous thought and actually making the decision to take that one step further and follow through with it? I could not understand it because it seemed to me that the restraint of the action itself requires self-control, which in and of itself is a gift of the Holy Spirit that I believed would please God.
Yet as I was reading these Scriptures this morning, I felt my attention drawn to one important point that I have always missed in the past. The commandments that Jesus set forth were never merely about our outward actions. They strongly involved our actual heart posture. I believe that Jesus is more interested in our heart and the thoughts that flow from it (Proverbs 4:23) than He ultimately is in the actions that we are taking. This is reflected multiple times in Scripture. For example, Jesus mentions that we should not give openly (Matthew 6:2-4), pray openly (Matthew 6:5-8), or fast openly (Matthew 6:16-18) for the sake of seeking outward confirmation. These instructions demonstrate that Jesus was far less interested in our outward actions than he was in the inward intent behind them.
Jesus was essentially saying: you have my commandments and you are wise to follow them. But if you think that following them with your actions alone while still desiring to do these things in your heart will somehow grant you reprieve, you are wrong. I believe Jesus was saying that we cannot do what He is commanding us to do out of a sense of obligation or out of a duty to the law. We cannot be as the Pharisees were and believe that if we follow the laws with our actions, we will please God and enter heaven (Matthew 23:13). The invitation and request laid out by Jesus was a different one: you must desire what I desire in your heart. Anything less than that is an injustice to Me and to yourselves. So today the invitation is clear and my prayer is simple:
Lord, help me to desire what it is that you desire. Shift my heart and my intentions so that they might more accurately reflect your own heart. Let me understand your commandments, not on the level of my actions, but on the level of my heart. Help me to gain a perspective that will allow me to move from living as a Pharisee within the law and instead living like your disciple out of an abundance of love. Let my life be pleasing to you, always. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Elegantly written, Ali... and if we really think about it, with the exception of a natural system's involuntary responses, i.e. a beating heart in a human, isn't 100% of everything that has ever happened; that has been invented; that has been created; first conceived with a thought? Indeed, in John 1:1-3, In the beginning was the "word," and by the "word" all things created. And aren't our words a voluntary response to a thought? I would love to have your take on mental illness in the context of this scripture. What about those who conceive harm, often to themselves, as the outgrowth of a thought which is begotten by a neurochemical dysfunction or defect?
ReplyDeleteHave you read "The Biology of Belief" by Bruce Lipton, Eden? Some of the concepts there truly resonated with me and I would have to say that I believe our 'disease' is often the result of our thoughts rather than the disease itself producing those negative thoughts. So we have to understand the importance of taking those thoughts captive if we are to change the outcome of our disease. I believe it is why Jesus asked the invalid at the pool of Bethesda "do you want to get well?" We can continue in our disease/dysfunction if we choose the thoughts that allow us to remain there (comfort, ease, martyrdom, etc.), but I believe it can be broken off of us if our desire is truly for healing. It doesn't mean that it necessarily will be broken off, but I believe when our thoughts are truly in alignment with healing and oneness with God, then we are one step closer. There's another thing to consider: sometimes the disease of a man is used for the benefit of others and to bring glory to God. John 9:3: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." The outgrowth of a thought begotten by a neurochemical dysfunction or defect in one person who chooses to harm him/herself can still be used by God to bring about healing in someone else.
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