God Looks at the Heart

What is most important to God?

In the past week I have talked with a lot of people about how much God cares about our hearts. Jesus talked a lot about the heart and how important our intentions were to Him and His Father. Many people in American church struggle with either legalism or complacency, but what God wants is not legalism to uphold the law (that we cannot actually uphold on our own) or someone who thinks that their brand of love is more righteous than Jesus's. What Jesus wants is people whose hearts and lives are completely surrendered to Him and His ways.

“Jesus told her, 'Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.'” - John 4:21

When Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman He alludes to the idea that once the Holy Spirit comes, there will be no designated liturgy. He says, "...an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem," meaning neither on the mountain where the Samaritans worshiped, nor in the temple in Jerusalem. This is just one of many places Jesus alludes to the importance of the state of your heart and not just the repetition of prescribed action 

Something really cool is this truth can also be seen in the Old Testament as well! For example, God gave Moses and Aaron very strict instructions when it came to building the tabernacle, priests, and their liturgy. However, when David decided to make plans to build the temple, he made it a permanent structure made out of cedar, and David made other changes such as adding trumpets and different musical elements to the liturgy. But God was not displeased with David for changing the tabernacle tradition, He was honored by David's plans because David's purpose was to do whatever he could to glorify God in Heaven. God even went as far as calling David "a man after my own heart." 

We should strive to learn more about the heart of God and how we can please and glorify Him in our relationship with Him; and one of the best ways to learn more about the person of God and His heart is through reading scripture! This week take some time to think about a way that you can glorify God with your own creativity. What can you do that you can wholeheartedly and completely dedicate to God for His glory and to honor Him.