Friday, April 17, 2009

Nurturing a Heart for God ~ 5

As I meditate upon those things that hinder me having a heart for God, probably at the top of my list are the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that I have a heart for myself.  

"I love myself supremely because I am the most worthy person I know to be loved and also because I think I can do a better job at it any anyone else."1 (Vincent)

Until I come to the place where I am not at the top of my own list, I will never love God with abandonment.  I can't.  

I know that I have shared from Vincent's book often over the previous few months but grant me to share again.  It has been a life-changing book for me and I want to pass that along.  

One very practical way to nurture a heart for God is to daily rehearse the gospel.  My own experience has been that as I do that, my heart softens towards God and I fall more and more in love with Him.  

Vincent says, "First, the gospel assures me that the love of God is infinitely superior to any love that I could ever give to myself..." And "Second, the gospel reveals to me the breathtaking glory and loveliness of God, and in so doing, it lures my heart away from love of self and leaves me enthralled by Him instead. The more I behold God's glory in the gospel, the more lovely He appears to me.  ... These reminders deliver a one-two punch to my innate self-absorption and leave me increasingly absorbed with Christ."2

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ...the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ...

Philippians 3:7-8 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...

"We make time for what we truly value. We build habits and routines around the things that really matter to us....Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish...we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed...Your audience is your own heart."3

There are several ways to rehearse the gospel.  Pick one that works for you.   Here are some ideas or find one of your own:

1. Meditate and memorize select Scriptures.  Here are some Mahaney suggests: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8:31-34, Isaiah 53:3-6, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:6-11, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and Galatians 2:21.

2. Use a book like "A Gospel Primer" that has 31 reasons to rehearse the gospel and concludes with a nut-shell version of the gospel in prose and poetry.  Great truths, great reminders, all biblically based.  Read it over and over and over.  

3. Sing gospel songs.  There is a great deal of wonderful Christian music out there.  Find a selection of gospel-centered music that focuses on the cross and the gospel.  If you would like suggestions, email me and I will gladly provide some ideas.   

4. Remind yourself of what you deserve vs. what Christ gives you.  I have a list of 55 things and I am just getting started.  

As I rehearse these truths my heart is impacted and God changes me.  You can do this by filling in the blanks.  I deserve _________ but You give me ________________.  

If you have other ideas of how to rehearse the gospel daily, send them along.  If you make a list of what you deserve vs. what Christ gave you, send that along too.  I'm sure you can beat the 55 I have already found.   

Nurture a heart for God by meditating on the truths of what Christ has done for you.  Savor those truths like a good piece of chocolate, extracting every morsel of grace from them. 

Diane

1 Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer. Pg. 30
2 IBID pg 30-31
3 CJ Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life. Pg. 132

No comments: