You Gotta Have Heart
You gotta have heart.
Not just passion and energy — heart is more foundational. I find myself praying over my heart more than ever. Each morning for the last two weeks, I have started my time of surrender by surrendering my heart to God. Not in salvation — I am seeing the importance of what my heart means, what it does, and how it impacts others.
The heart has been called "the seat of affection" in many of the weddings I've done. That doesn't even do it justice. The heart is our spiritual core — the epicenter where our soul, emotions, and expectations and desires intersect. The heart is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible. We have to know that God has a form of "heart" in Him as well. Acts 13:22 (ESV) says, "And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'" And He can see our hearts. Psalm 44:21 (ESV) says, "Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart."
The heart is where God connects with man in a way that only a Creator and His creation can share — an intimacy and connection unlike any other. That is why I am praying over my heart more. I am surrendering it fresh each morning so God can examine, grow, and use it — to expose the sinful motives, desires, and expectations that would cause me to diverge from the path God has for me in every area of my life. Help me see where my emotions need to align with His will. Help my heart grow stronger, with a deeper capacity to see and value others. Eliminate the judgment and the critic in me. I surrender it for Him to use, since it produces every thought, word, and action. Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" If I can have a surrendered, pure heart going into my day, then I am poised to use my thoughts, words, and actions in a way that genuinely expresses God's love for me and for others.
The other important part of heart is loving what captures yours. As you grow, you get a clearer picture of what fulfills you in life. A ton of things make you smile; a lot of things make you happy; and we all love a small circle of things. But the fulfillment of your heart's spirituality, emotions, and desires comes when you're engaged in something that brings you the greatest joy and sense of identity. That may change a few times over a lifetime. Yet when we are moving in what God created us to do, we feel a sense of completeness and accomplishment.
I have boiled it down to this: my mission as an empowering shepherd, Christ follower, husband, dad, Pop, pastor, leader, friend, and "that guy," is to empower someone to take a step toward Jesus. When I am doing something like that, I feel my heart connect to the person or situation in complete gratification. I am doing what I was created to do, and it feels great to see how others benefit from it.
Find your God-given identity today, and capture your heart. It will benefit you and those you love. Let's go!
