Wholehearted Worship from Undivided Hearts

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart,

that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart.

I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me;

you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Psalm 86:11-13

I will give them an undivided heart

and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 11:19-20

The Truth

• As Christians, God demands that we love him first, love him most, and love him fully.
• "'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" (Matthew 22:36-37)
• It is not natural for our hearts to be in an undivided state--in fact, it violates our human nature. Due to our sinful tendencies, we are much more inclined to selfish interests and appetites. We are disposed to distraction. We gravitate towards fleeting, instantaneously-gratifying, and ultimately meaningless endeavors. However, we have been called to something infinitely greater than this.
• "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
• I know what you're thinking: it's not as easy as I've made it out to be. And you're right. If you look at the main verses, you will see evidence that we cannot entirely unify our hearts for the purpose of completely glorifying God by our own power. David acknowledges this by asking God to give him an undivided heart for the sole purpose of glorifying him; and God tells Ezekiel that he will provide an undivided heart. Don't be discouraged :)
• "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• If your heart beats for one God and one God alone, it WILL change your life. In Ezekiel, we see that people with undivided hearts purposefully do as God has asked them, resulting in a God that is proud to claim them as his own.
• We are kidding ourselves if we believe that our divided hearts can successfully serve and please the Lord. The following verse does not address divided hearts, but I believe that the implication is consistent.
• "Jesus knew their hearts and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'" (Matthew 12:25)

Sooo... whatcha gonna do?

STEP ONE: DETERMINE YOUR PURPOSE!

If you aren't interested in glorifying God, you can stop reading now. (Actually, I'm surprised if you've made it this far.) However, if you claim to be a Christian and feel no deep-seeded desire to glorify God, then please take a good, hard look at your faith. This desire for an undivided heart in order to properly worship and glorify the God of the universe should be a natural result of knowing him.

STEP TWO: PURSUE YOUR PURPOSE!

Don't misinterpret my words; I'm not saying you'll never fail. Whenever we try something hard, failure at one point or another is practically inevitable. This doesn't justify or excuse it. It's just a fact. The greater fact, though, is that God forgives and redeems fully, without holding back. So try it. I guarantee two things. First of all, it will change your life. But Ye Be Warned: this isn't something you can remember to do occasionally. It's not something you can do when you feel like it. If you are going to do it, go all the way. (Remember Matthew 22?) The next guarantee is that loving God with an undivided heart will be the most important thing you ever do. So love him recklessly. Hold nothing back from him.

-Mic

P.S. If you're having a hard time evaluating your own heart, I encourage you to seek out God's wisdom through his word and prayer with him. I also found another blog that elucidates several tendencies of someone with a spiritually divided heart; it seems pretty sound to me. You can take a look at it here.

Also, I looked up the two main verses from this blog post in a bunch of different versions, and I found the different interpretations of an "undivided heart" to be very interesting. Here's a list of the variations... You can do with them as you please, but I figured some of them (especially the ones from Psalm 86) would be great to incorporate into prayer.

Ezekiel 11:19

"one heart" | "one purpose" | "desire to respect me completely" | "hearts that are completely committed to me" | "new heart"

Psalm 86:11

• "Make my heart focused only on honoring your name."
• "Focus my heart on fearing you."
• "Teach me to serve you with complete devotion."
• "Teach me to respect you completely."
• "Give me a heart that doesn't want anything more than to worship you."
• "Grant me purity of heart, that I may fear your name."
• "Let me wholeheartedly revere your name."
• "Put me together, one heart and one mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear."

Laws: Reconstructing Misconceptions

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do." (James 1:22-25)

It has recently come to my attention that common opinions are often skewed in regards to the expectations and rules for Christian living as communicated by God.

Non-Christian Misconceptions
1. In order to become a Christian, you have to follow all of the rules first.
     False. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith--and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

2. God's laws were designed to prevent us from having fun.
     No no no. God's laws serve several purposes, but they are not in place to lessen our happiness. In John 10:10, Jesus explains, "I came that they may have life, and have it to the full." First of all, God's law simply reveals what pleases God and what does not. This implies that we will choose to do those things which bring him joy. Another purpose for God's commandments is twofold: while it reveals attributes of God (such as his justice and righteousness), it simultaneously reveals our sinfulness, wickedness, and shortcomings when it comes to holiness, godliness, and living for Christ. In doing so, our weaknesses reveal our deep necessity for God's grace. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9)


Misconceptions within Christianity
1. It is an obligation or a burden.

     "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world." (1 John 5:3-4) If anything, his commands are an inspiration! They are our comfort. Alone, we will never overcome our own sinful nature and obey his commands; only by his divine grace and power can we win the sin battle.

2. We must follow God's law in order to get into heaven.
     Take another look at Ephesians 2:8.

The Truth

Disobedience, while it is sin itself, leads to more sin. When we choose our own way over what God desires for our life, we are essentially telling him that we know what will be best for us better than he does. What? That means we are pridefully, ignorantly elevating our own wisdom and knowledge over an omniscient, omnipotent God. Be very careful.

So why should we do as God commands? Just you wait :)

THE REASONS
1. If we love God, obeying his commands is simply the visible outpouring and overflow of that love:

• "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15)
• "You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:14)
• "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." (2 John 1:6)

2. Obeying God pleases him:

• "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (Romans 8:7)

3. Neglecting to obey him grieves the heart of God:

• "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." (Genesis 6:5-6)

4. God blesses those that keep his commands:

• "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." (Exodus 19:5)
• "God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.' To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil." (Romans 2:6-9)
• "But I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you." (Jeremiah 7:23)
• "Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands." (Psalm 112:1)
• Look at James 1:25 again.

5. God is just in rewarding our faithfulness to keep his commands and disciplining us when we do not. There are consequences for refusing to live within God's will:

• "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" (Romans 6:15-16)
• "'If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 1:20)

6. A couple of things to note:

• Obedience is a result of faith: 

          "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes through faith." (Romans 1:5)
          "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17)

• Obedience is a process requiring practice that is learned over time:

          "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered."(Hebrews 5:8)

• Obedience is all-encompassing:

          "And we take captive every thought to make it obedience to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

THE RESULT

Essentially, our responsibility as Christians is to introduce people to Christ. The church I attend explains our goal and life mission this way: We exist to make heaven more crowded. In following God's commands, we set ourselves apart from the world. It is not always easy to do as God asks. Scratch that-- denying our sinful nature is always a struggle. But at the core, by the grace of God, we will continue to do so in order that more people may be introduced to the most important (and only important) person to ever walk the earth:

"But I do as the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." (John 14:31, ESV)

My Prayer:

"I will hasten and do not delay to obey your commands." (Psalm 119:60)

-Mic

The Asking Task

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

(Matthew 6:8)

Connotation

The simple phrase "asking God" comes with an inevitable slew of positive and negative connotations. It may generate joy with the recollection of a time when God came through in a real, non-coincidental way. On the contrary, it may stir up painful or uncomfortable memories of unanswered prayers. It may rejuvenate old feelings of skepticism and doubt. But it really doesn't matter what "asking God" makes you feel, remember, or hope for. Regardless of your personal bias, "asking God" is still exactly that: asking God. And it is something he has asked us to do.

Denotation

So, what do we ask for? A Big Mac? A flat screen? No more debt? Reconciliation? Health? Success? Popularity? Romance? When asking mundane things of a God as big as ours, it can be overwhelming to determine where to start. Like any educated scholar, these prompted me to look up "ask" on dictionary.com. Several different definitions yielded varying conclusions.

1. "to inquire about"

Why not ask God about himself? Start by asking Him to reveal himself in new ways to you, through his Word, current circumstances, and random experiences. These are not as random as you think, and there is something to be learned every day about the one who invented days. With a God so infinite and brains as limited as ours, we will never run out of things to ask.

• "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4)
• "Moses said to God, 'Suppose that I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.'" (Exodus 3:14)

2. "to request an answer"

Lost? Confused? Ask. Our God is a God of truth and clarity; although he himself, in his entirety, remains a mystery, he continuously makes himself and our circumstances more comprehensible to us. That being said, God never intended for us to know everything-- he is the only omniscient being, and he did not design us for omniscience. He designed us, ultimately, to glorify and praise him. Often times, honesty and a genuine spirit are necessary before we are willing to collapse to our knees and admit that we do not understand. The best part about this is that God does understand, and accepting that he is in control often produce a sense of peace that surpasses understanding; this realization inevitably yields to a state of worshipful adoration of the only one worthy of it all.

3. "to make a request for what is needed or desired"

          This one is self-explanatory, as all of us are typically in need of something.

• "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
• "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

4. "to expect"

According to dictionary.com: "'Expect' implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur. 'Anticipate' is to look forward to an event and even to picture it. 'Hope' implies a wish that an event may take place and an expectation that it will. 'Await' implies being alert and ready." Anticipating that the Lord will move in powerful ways is essential while hoping for and awaiting his answers and fulfillment of promises.This is an area in which many Christians (who are willing to ask) trip over their own feet. While we do present some requests to God, we choose to predominantly dedicate our time to convincing ourselves that praying little, comfy, safe prayers requires faith on our part. Pray big! Expect God to move in ways you cannot even imagine.

• God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)
• "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)       

Why We Lack
These verses speak for themselves:

• "You want something but don't get it... You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:2-3)
• "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord." (Proverbs 16:2)
• "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22)
• "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord." (James 1:5-7)

Asking in Relation to God's Will

Ultimately, this is my prayer: that in the face of the greatest suffering, I would still have the faith to surrender my life completely, just as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. While Jesus did presented his request to his Father, he did it selflessly, acknowledging that God's plan was still bigger than himself:

He fell with his face to the ground and prayed,

"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.

Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

• "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:14-15)
• "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." (John 15:7)
• "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:24)

A Friendly Reminder...

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)

-Mic