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Volume. XIX, No. 35 Where is your heart?“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” We live in a very self-centred world where self-gratification, self-satisfaction, self-fulfilment, and a “what can I get out of this” attitude drives so much of our activities, and determines so many of our responses. In the heart of every person is a desire to find the key that unlocks a rich and satisfying life. Where’s the heart? The heart is the seat of understanding. The heart is the navigation system to our life-where it is pointed is where we will go. Changes start with the heart. Why is the inclination of the heart important? Because out of it comes the issues of life – actions will flow from the heart. It is out of the overflow of what is in our hearts that leads to how we live our life. As Proverbs 4:23 says “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” If you want to know what is going on in your heart, just look at your life and take stock. Your life reflects your heart. Think for a moment about your own heart. If your heart was buried in the place that you most loved, where would it be? In your wallet? At the mall? Around your career? Our hearts can be found at the place where we genuinely worship. We can easily find the place our hearts lies by knowing what occupies the majority of our thoughts, our conversations and our time. For a lot of us, our hearts are distant from where we know they should be. A life apart from God leaves you without the ability to satisfy your needs. The vacuum created forces you to look to mental, physical or social dimensions of life for fulfilment. Only God can bring enduring purpose, ultimate security and lasting fulfilment. The good news is that God is desperately in love with you. No matter what you have done, He wants to be at the very centre of your life. Regrettably, my heart was empty during my teenage years. While trying to find the meaning of life, I lived the lifestyle to fit into my circle of friends. Similarly, during my middle-age years, I struggled with my identity, perhaps out of disappointment for not having achieved all that I hoped. It was only in my later years that I got rid of the “things” that seemed to claim the centre stage in my life and turned my heart to God. Knowing God brings the greatest joy and happiness to me. A life of fellowship with God is one of perfect joy and peace, seeking to glorify Him in every action, and enjoying perfect communion with Him. I praise and thank the Lord for His many blessings upon me, and for not forgetting my family and loved ones as well during the past year. In particular, for blessing me with the great privilege to serve Him in Hope BP Church as a Deacon and as the Treasurer. In addition, the Lord also provided me with the opportunity to go and serve Him in Cambodia recently. Since becoming a Deacon, my heart has yielded to God. I began to experience God’s love through faith in Jesus Christ, and something wonderful was born within me – a desire to love and please God for all He has done for me. I know this desire may grow faint at times, especially when other passions clamour for my attention. But the Lord is always working in me “both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:13). One of the many aspects of walking with the Lord is that we do not know what is going to happen next. As followers of Christ we sometimes have to venture into unfamiliar territory. The Lord has given me the privilege to get involved in missions. He had called upon me to witness to the people of Cambodia about Christ and to share the Gospel with the Bible students at the Choi’s, the Hahn’s, the Koo’s and Preacher Chang’s ministries. My heart was touched by the missionaries and their families for their services and devotion to the Lord. Indeed they are true servants of God. I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to go to the mission field to serve with them. God willing, I pray that there will be many more trips for me. Have you ever examined yourself to see if your heart is in the right place? Do you depend on God daily? Do you acknowledge that all you are and have are by His mercy and grace? Do you live as His grateful servant, yielding to His will? Only as you recognise the importance of humility and acknowledge your dependence on Him can you have a heart that’s “in the right place.” Consider Matthew 6: 19-21 which says “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The choice is yours because God created all of us with the freedom to accept or reject His fellowship. When we think of the time we have to work and play in terms of hours, it does not seem like much. Also when seen in the light of eternity, it is but a fleeting moment. How important, therefore, that we make the most of our opportunities to honour God. Let us meditate upon what James has to say about “life” in James 4:14. “It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Literally counting our days reminds us of the swift passage of time and the need to live with eternity’s values in view. We are to ask God to give us the understanding of the vapour-like brevity of life. This can motivate our hearts to seek God’s will and to put His interests first as revealed in Matthew 6:33 which says “...seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” So, where is your heart? Dn Yaw Chiew Tan |
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