Sometimes I feel like God whispers to me, “Did you really mean what you told them/him/her or were you just talking?”
I just finished a three-week sermon series called, “Journey.” The theme came from Colossians 3:1-4…
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
The journey through this life requires that we set our hearts and minds on things above. Heaven. Our life in Christ. God’s ways of doing things. The things that please and delight Him.
It takes effort though. This life has a way of constantly pulling our attention, our desires and our thoughts back to earthly things. Don’t get me wrong, not all earthly things are bad–we’re just not to set our hearts and minds on them.
Event though I’ve been immersed in setting my heart and mind on things above, I find it so easy to slip back to old patterns–ways of thinking and feeling that have been a part of me for a very long time.
In 1979, before my junior year of high school football, I began weight training for the first time. I’d played around with it before then, but never really knew what I was doing. With a little instruction and accountability though, I quickly began to see results.
My football career has long since ended, but I have continued to enjoy lifting weights. For the past four months, I have been working out particularly hard. I really don’t know any other way. I haven’t been able to make the successful transition to doing it “just to be healthy.” I’ve tried, but I keep pushing myself. I keep throwing more weight on the bar so I’ll get bigger and stronger.
So today I heard the whisper.
I was reading in Psalm 147. Verses 10 and 11 say:
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
That got my attention, but the whisper came when I read The Message version:
He’s not impressed with horsepower;
the size of our muscles means little to him.
Those who fear God get God’s attention;
they can depend on his strength.
God is not impressed with the amount of my bench press. He doesn’t care if my arms are big or small. No, He delights in those who fear Him, those who entrust themselves to His loving care. Hebrews 11:6 says it this way:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
I’m not suggesting it’s wrong to exercise, lift weights or take care of my body. But it is wrong if that’s where I’ve set my heart and mind. In a letter to Timothy, Paul said it this like this:
…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
If you want to delight the heart of God and experience His delight in you…set your heart and mind on Him. Cultivate the respect and awe He deserves. Make it your goal to love Him above everyone and everything else. Even become obsessed with Him.
He’s not impressed by the size of your muscles, your house or your bank account. His delight and pleasure are in the condition of your heart.
Maybe He’s also whispering to you today.