An Undivided Heart

Do you ever struggle with a divided heart? I do. I want to serve and love God but then slowly, sneakily, sin creeps in. It may be just little things that are easy to excuse. Respectable sins. Everyone does that. It’s no big deal. Does it really matter if I just eat whatever I want without exercising self-control? It’s my money right? It’s okay to buy whatever makes me happy! I’m tired, I just want to relax and watch a video, there’s nothing that bad about this one; a few little things? Well I can overlook that. And the list goes on and on. But the truth is. You can’t serve two masters. 

Jesus Himself says this very clearly in Matthew 6:24: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

And Joshua states: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

Who are you obeying? The lusts of your flesh? The world? Satan? In Romans 6:16 it says: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Everything you do, say, think about, eat, and spend your time on matters. Are we walking in obedience in every aspect of our lives or are we giving the devil a foothold? In Ephesians 4:27 Paul warns us by saying: Neither give place to the devil.

Are you feeling convicted? Jesus calls all those who feel burdened by sin and enslaved to Satan to come to Him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

And when we come to Him and put our faith in Him, He never turns us away.  Instead He makes us new. 

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

Romans 6:6

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 6:18

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

But following Jesus means saying ‘No’ to sin, saying ‘No’ to the world, and saying ‘No’ to our own selfish lusts.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Following Jesus means we need to deny ourselves, and that’s hard sometimes. And the more we give in and compromise, the harder it gets. But remember, all the tantalizing pleasures this world and Satan have to offer lead to death.

For the wages of sin is death; Romans 6:23

Satan is a liar and a thief. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: John 10:10a Will we fall for his tricks? Will he be our Master? Will we pledge our allegiance to him?

Jesus came so that we might have life.  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (Jesus) John 10:10b

Come to Him. Believe in Him, Follow after Him and you will find rest for your souls. You will found hope and peace, joy and love, and an abundant life that you could never dream of.  You may experience hardships and struggles, impossibilities and trials, but He will guide you through it and nothing can ever separate you from His perfect, all encompassing, incredible love! (Romans 8:31-39)

So look to Him. Come to Him. Believe in Him. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6b

Yield yourselves to Him. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:13

Submit to Him. Draw near to Him. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. James 4:7-8a

Ask Him to teach you and give you an undivided heart. Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11

You will never regret it.