Matters of the Heart

1 Samuel 16:7 "The Lord looks at the heart." This scripture says everything, He knows everything about us, there is no hiding, deceiving, cheating or even distracting His attention from our hearts. We may hide our sins from those closest to us, however we can't keep anything from Him. But there is good news in this. What is that you ask? Our Lord and Savior Loves us no matter what. No matter our wicked or unhealthy decisions, he knows our hearts and all we have to do is turn to him and he will not only forgive us, but show us the way we should be walking.

As a man I have many things working against me in this world from the beginning. First I am not born knowing Christ, He watches over us until we can make that decision. So what if you grow up in a home where Christ is not part of the daily learning? Not even mentioned? Not having a spiritual mentor or guide growing up is all too common in this world. We are not properly arming our children for the world ahead if we do not give them all the tools to work with. School isn't the only education they should be receiving. Lets face it, they have a tough enough road ahead so why not give them the upper hand.As a father, I will arm my children with God as proof of my love for them.

Second, I am a sinner and my DNA screams with male hormones. We are surrounded by the minute with reminders of sex and lust, throwing our male hormones into overdrive. If you are male reading this you know exactly what I am saying. They are on TV, the internet, magazines, billboards and yes even in the cube next to you at the office. In the cube next to you? Yes, every morning she comes in dressed nice and smelling good and says with an inviting smile "good morning". As a man your mind races. As a Christian man, you stop before you get there. Your wife now comes to mind instead of the women in the cube next door. You have noticed she looks nice, smells good and has a nice personality, but that is as far as it goes. God gave you your wife and she is waiting for you at home. She is the only one that gets the male hormone response from you anymore, because Christ not only expects it, he demands it. The task is no easy, but with God, it can be done. Without Him you do not stand a chance. As a husband, I will lift up my wife as proof of my Love for her.

Lastly, we are controllers. How is this bad you ask? Well if you try to control life without God guiding you, your chances of success are slim and the enemy counts on that. You are an easy target for divorce, offense, addiction, etc...However with God guiding you through all your decisions, your marriage stays intact or is restored, you don't fall victim to offense as easily, and addiction, well I think God is ok with being addicted to Him and your family, I think he is ok with being high on Faith and Life, as those will be the only things you will need and everything else will be provided. You see God should be number one, your spouse number two and your family three. In that order everything falls into place. With God guiding your decisions, it is easier to make the choices that affect your life and the life of your family. I think Romans 8:9 says it all, You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. Yet those who are not believers are controlled by sin. As a Christian, I will praise my God as proof I Love and submit to His will.

So yesterday I let God work, I let him work on my wife and we not only went to church together, but we spent family time together before heading to church. So my faith gave me a tiny victory in the war. I pray daily that the war is short and my family can fight the future battles as together and not divided (Ecclesiastes 4:10  Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!). When that day comes, when God advises me as he did David, go take back your family from the enemy (1 Samuel 30), I will be the happiest man in the land. My light will be so bright the enemy will run in fear, as God is on my side and my sword will find it's mark if the enemy does not flee. As a faithful man of God, I will be still and listen to Gods direction to show others His power, grace and Love.

To wrap up, God wants us to win, to prosper, to lead, to challenge, to win and to succeed in all we do. We must do it humbly and with his guidance, while remembering to praise Him for all we are in victory or failure. Because he makes us who we are meant to be, if we just let him be in control and we get our power and direction from him. God will work for you, he will not leave you and whether he answers your prayer with a yes or no, it's all in your best interest. His Love is eternal and like any father he only wants the best for us. So remember Love is what he desires for us, so when we Love the world as he Loves us, he is a happy father. I am to Love my wife as I Love myself, without record of wrongs and do so freely. I will never lose sight of this again. Without God I cannot keep this promise, as I Love my wife not from just my own heart, but from the overflowing amount of Love God gives me. It is with the remainder that I Love her so. That is a refreshing feeling.

Lets Pray: Heavenly Father, please grant us with the wisdom to know when you are guiding us. Allow us to be still long enough to hear you. Allow us as men to overcome our DNA and find you, so that we can be leaders of a different feather. We can recognize beauty as just that, a woman and a flower are just the same in our eyes. The only woman that receives our affections is our wives. The only light we look to is yours. Our addictions are You, our families, our Faith and a blessed life. Without you God none of this is possible. We must realize that true happiness is not attainable if you are not present. The happiness and control is opnly surface level and can diminish in a moment, if it isn't of You. Father daily we all struggle with decisions that if we are not careful can be misinterpreted as your wishes. Lord we ask that you make your wishes for us clear and without interference or speculation. Lord look in our hearts, let those around us see them also and God use these pure hearts to grant us the understanding and clarity we need to be leaders for you. Whether this is at home, work or the world, Lord we know you can overcome. Use me to spread your wisdom anyway you see fit. I am not in control Father, but you are. So I ask, control me, help me lead when I am meant to lead and follow when I am to follow. God I am faithful and I am filled with your Holy Spirit. I wish to live for you and praise you for all I am blessed with. So father I ask you to listen to the hearts of men, change those that need changing, heal those that need healing, guide those that need guidance, but Lord please don't give up on us. Thank you Lord for all you and do and in Jesus name I pray...Amen