The God Lovin’ Redneck: The Heart Matters

The Heart Matters

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29: 11-13

This Great Recession going on in the world today has created, not only financial issues in families, but it has caused many emotional issues, too. As I look around; reading and listening to the news, and even noticing in my own life, it has gotten pretty depressing. It is a stressful situation.

It has taken its toll on many families. People are losing their jobs, their savings, their homes, and their future. I have noticed husbands and wives getting angry at each other with threats of divorce. I have been reading about people committing suicide over all of this stress. For what? What is the root cause? Is it money? I think it’s deeper than that.

This world has been chasing the love of material things for so many years. We have dedicated a lot of our time in trying to gain more ‘stuff’.  It’s bad when we can’t just be happy with what we already have. We want more and we will do whatever it takes to get it. With this type of time and dedication, it becomes more of a ‘heart’ problem and this Great Recession is a great ‘heart attack‘.

No Heart

Our hearts are not where they are supposed to be. Our love and time should be given to the Lord. He should be our Number One. He gives us hope and a future, not material things. We need to seek Him first in our life. And when we do, everything else in our life will fall in place. It’s amazing how it all works.

Jesus has the answers. If you don’t know Him as your Lord and Savior, I would pray and ask Him to come into your life. Repent of the junk that you’ve done and start a new life with Him leading the way. Get a heart transplant!

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. - Ezekiel 36:26

A Half Heart

Another important thing I have learned is that we can’t serve the Lord half-heartedly. As Christians, we can’t just serve the Lord on specially designated days that we decide. We need to go all out and serve Him every day in everything we do.

We can’t just be a Christian at church, we need be and act like Christians wherever we are. And we can’t do our Christian duties out of obligation, but out of our love for God that is whole heartedly sincere. He deserves more than that!

We also can’t serve and use the Lord just when we need something, and then when He answers our prayers, we begin living the old life again. That is so wrong in so many ways. Think about it. Give Him your all in all circumstances.

A Whole Heart

This is what we need right here – a heart that is completely sold out to Jesus. We should live our life as though we are thankful that He died for us. Are you thankful that you don’t have to die and go to Hell? Are you thankful that you have the gift of eternal life because Jesus died on the cross for your sins? Well, are you showing it? Your heart should reflect it.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. – Matthew 22:37

The world’s heart seeks money to receive material things to make their future prosperous and plentiful. But, like in this Great Recession, it falls apart and people get hurt in the end. It just doesn’t work. The Lord’s answer to prosperity and a future is simple. He says, “Seek Him with ALL OF OUR HEART”. Let’s try it!

The heart matters.

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