Are they not just adorable!!!!??? I was sitting on the couch one night and Rina and Bryan decided to play peek-a-boo with me 🙂 Right now Rina is playing with the fireplace and trying to lick the stone. Why she likes to I don’t know but it can be a battle some days. Gross!
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Another statement I just recently began changing my mind about – if the heart’s not in it, it doesn’t count so you might as well not do it. Let me explain, several years ago I heard a Pastor preach about how God wants your heart not just your actions. So, if you don’t feel like going to Church don’t go to Church. God knows you’d rather not be there and honesty is more important than doing something bc you are compelled to so, be honest and stay home… Plus, God loves you no matter what you do or don’t do so, if the heart’s not in it, don’t do it.
I liked the freedom that gave to admit that I don’t always FEEL like being in Church or doing my devos or fasting or praying or whatever. Plus, God does love me no matter what I do or don’t do so it made sense to me. Until recently.
And granted I would totally still agree the heart is VERY important to God and even in the OT it was about the heart more than the specific commands or sacrifices. HOWEVER, obedience is more than just about “feeling it” I’m beginning to realize.
Janet Pope gives a great example of this in her book “His Word in My Heart.” When you tell your children to do something you want it done – now- regardless of whether or not their heart’s in it. It would be great if the heart was in it and the room was cleaned while they hummed a happy tune but the fact of the matter is that rarely happens. We teach our children to obey us whether or not they FEEL like it bc we’re the parents and what we say goes. They obey out of duty in the beginning more than desire.
So, why is it any different with God? What’s wrong with obeying simply bc it’s the right thing to do whether or not I FEEL like it at the moment. As I obey God simply bc I know I should (He is God after all) this grows the relationship which leads to more intimacy which leads to greater understanding of who God is which begins to CHANGE my heart so I do DESIRE to obey. The Rabbis have a great way of stating this – Obedience begins in the feet and then moves to heart.
I can’t count how many times I didn’t do something I thought God was asking me to do bc I reasoned well my heart’s not in it so it doesn’t count anyways for instance with fasting, praying, devos, witnessing, not eating that sweet…. But maybe I need to learn to obey whether or not my heart’s in it and trust that as I obey God, He’ll change my heart so I will want to do those things. Oh for the day when we obey simply bc we want to show our love for God! Until that day, may we obey anway.