by Pastor Joel Lawler

I can't help but think that our modern Christian theology has missed something vital.  I have grown up in various churches.  I have heard countless messages and been through many classes.  I have even graduated from a Christian college. It has been extremely rare that I have heard a message regarding the heart.  The heart is mentioned 776 times in the New International version of the Bible.  It is mentioned 488 times in the Message version of the Bible. The heart is addressed 895 times in the King James Version of the Bible.  The heart is critical to God.

In the Old Testament, God told Samuel to go find a king for Israel.  He also told him what family the king was to be chosen from.  As all the boys were lined up, Samuel thought for sure who would be picked. God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart (1 Samuel 16:7(MSG)).

When Jesus was asked what the greatest command was Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (Matthew 22:37(NIV)).

The heart comes first.

It is so much easier to engage people's minds than their hearts.  We can use facts and figures and science to convince them of our cause. 

The heart is a whole other matter.  It takes much more than intellect to reach another person's heart.  The eighteen inches between head and heart is almost impassable. 

We live in the information age.  Television, radio, internet and cell phones gives us seemingly an endless flow of information.  You almost cannot learn something new everyday. 

When was the last time something really touched your heart?

I read this quote in John Eldredge's book entitled Waking the Dead.  It gives us an idea of what the heart is.

"Love is the life of our heart.  According to it we desire, rejoice, hope and despair, fear, take heart, hate, avoid things, feel sad, grow angry and exalt." - Francis de Sales.

Why is our heart so critical to God?  Our heart is who we are.  It is why we do what you do.  It is our motivation.  Our deepest thoughts, desires, pain, feelings live within our hearts.  We do not love from our head.  We love from our heart.

God does not need our talents.  He does not need our money.  He does not need our charity.  He does not need our worship.  He does not need our time. He does not need our great acts of service.  He does not need our attention.  He does not need our talents.  He does not need us to obey a bunch of rules.  God existed perfectly long before you were and I were created. 

Why God wants our heart is because He wants all of us.  All of the above will become His when we give Him all of our heart.

The heart is where we connect to each other and it is where we connect to God.  Without our heart we are lost, alone and life is meaningless.