Not too long ago, I began reflecting on my life and began to replay those moments where I stumbled or tripped in my walk with the Lord. And I continue to stumble and trip. Graciously, patiently, and lovingly, the Lord grabs my hand, lifts me up from the dirt, and gives me clean clothes to wear. I thank Him that He has clothed me in Christ. Desiring to show appreciation to the Lord for all He's done, how can I possibly return the favor? And if I could, what would He even want in return?
So I asked the Lord those questions.
Taking a walk, listening to music, tuning my ears to His voice, and genuinely seeking an answer,
He replied:
"I just want...
a thank you."
We look to the cross and we see Christ taking on humanity's burden, absorbing the sin of this world. This act would include a body broken, blood poured out, a wrath satisfied, and a love and mercy extended. We stand in awe of a righteous judge and an extravagantly gracious God and ask, "What can I possibly do to repay this rescuing act, an act that would eternally draw me to Himself?"
And the answer doesn't come through any work you can perform, any status you can reach, or any prize you can attain,
but rather through belief...
and thanks.
So I continued the conversation with the Lord, "Father, how can I thank you?"
And He answered with a Scripture:
"So then, just as you received Christ, Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
-Colossians 2:6-7
I thank the Lord as I gaze at the cross...
with my life.
I receive Christ and live in Him. I embrace Him and believe in Him.
Remembering what He has done, my heart overflows with thankfulness.
My entire life, then, becomes an expression of thankfulness.
It's a thankfulness that is continually testifying to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
A thankfulness that testifies to
...the hope I have. In Him.
...the love and forgiveness shown. In Him.
...the sacrifice offered. In Him.
...the grace of our God. In Him.
...the salvation I have received. In Him.
Colossians 2:6-7 holds the the endless treasure I have in Christ.
And Christ is exalted by
my life
through my thankfulness.
And as Christ brings glory to the Father, I am then
God's glory on display.
God's glory is seen through me for my thankfulness testifies to the One who brings
glory to the Father, Jesus.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
-Psalm 86:12-13
I was in the car riding with a friend to the
store when he began talking about something that I could tell really
affected him. His words were heavy, but I knew his heart felt even
heavier. On the outside, no one would be able to tell this particular
issue meant much to him. His demeanor didn't seem abnormal; his face or tone didn't show much emotion. However, if one truly listened to
the words he was speaking, they could tell this issue greatly impacted him inwardly.
In this moment, I felt the Lord grab my attention, "Look beyond his
words - look at his heart."
I believe the Lord was asking me, is asking
me, to become like Him--looking beyond the outside and attentively
looking towards the inside of a person. For He doesn't look at the outward
appearance, but rather He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). When I tuned in to my friend's
heart, I began to have compassion ...understanding...and a sincere
and brotherly love for him. I believe it's important for me, you, us
to listen not to the words, but to the heart, because I think He's
wanting to use us. He's wanting us to speak, but first we must listen.
Because only when we are listening to the heart can we have compassion, understanding, and love...
only when we're listening to the heart...
can we speak to the heart.
The Lord is desperately pursuing after our hearts. And I think that He's
sending us on a quest to help capture people's hearts for Him. To be apart of this pursuit. That's
why He's putting us in places like a passenger seat
to listen like
He listens...
to speak like He speaks...
to capture their hearts with
His understanding and His compassion and His love.
His word says that we should no longer recognize anyone according to the flesh...(2 Cor. 5:16)
Christ doesn't see someone the way the world does; the world looks on the outside. Instead,
He gazes upon people and sees what His Father sees. Their hearts.
His word also says that because the Holy Spirit lives inside of those
who believe, we have access to the depths of God. He wants my life to be
filled with both spiritual thoughts and spiritual words (1 Cor.
2:10-16). As I seek my Father's heart, I join in on the adventure of
seeing hearts captured by His grace and love. In this adventure, I
think He also wants to partner with me in seeing this. As I begin to
know the depths of God, my thoughts and words become like His.
And His
heart is revealed...
through me.
As a result, He uses me to capture
hearts...
for Him.
He wants to partner with me. As a groom would with his bride. As a father would with his son.
God wants His heart to be known, and God used Christ to not only reveal
His heart but also to capture the hearts of His children. Because His
children bring Him glory.
So, we must intimately know our Father and become like Him.
Thinking like Him.
Listening like Him.
Speaking like Him.
Looking where He looks. At the heart.
This was the very life of Christ. The life that captured hearts for the Father.
And we must become like Christ, for it is no longer us who lives,
but Christ who lives inside of us (Gal. 2:20).
