Clean Hands, Pure Hearts

A few years back, my husband and I were "pushed" out of a church by a group of individuals that wanted leadership control.  They felt it was their time to lead.  They were tired of how the previous pastor lead and deep down didn’t trust those who were currently overseeing the church.  There was and still is a serious distrust of anyone in leadership specifically when the leaders do not include someone in their group.  A deeply rooted division has taken place between Elder and Staff. When the lead pastor stepped away, these individuals saw an opportunity to take control and jumped at it and has refused to submit to those in authority over them. 

As this was all unfolding, the elders asked my husband to step into the lead position for a short period of time in order to help the church navigate through the transition process. My husband met with these individuals over a 3-month period to discussed what their goals, desires and strengthen were and developed a ministry plan based on their impute.  When he shared the plan with them, they immediately rejected it and became very upset. They did not want a plan they did not develop.  They were tired of implementing other people’s ideas and felt strongly it was their turn to be in control.

I do believe at the time, they would have told you they wanted my husband's leadership but, in the end, they only wanted him to be their “puppet” so they could pull the strings and lead the church through him.   When confronted, they acknowledge this to be true but did not repent or change their attitudes.  In fact, they dug their “heels” in deeper and one actually said God could their wrong actions for His good.  Sadly, the division in the church has only grown deeper and wider.

Why do I share this? Because God can and does use all kinds of people and situations. All throughout scripture we see God use wicked kings, nations, sibling rivalry and even a donkey to accomplish His purposes. But just because He does, does not mean God approves of sinful behaviors/attitudes. 

If it is true that God uses all kinds of people and situation then why does our motives, attitudes and behaviors matter? Because God cares deeply about our heart – out of the overflow of our heart flows our motive, our attitude and our behaviors. Our attitude and motives show who is really on the throne of our hearts.  God calls us to have clean hands and pure hearts which results in right motives.  He calls us to have a servant's attitude like Jesus did. Jesus came to serve and not to be served. He led with humility and laid down his life for us. God cares deeply about honoring and submitting to those in authority over us.

God cares about the state of our hearts and a pure heart comes from consecrating ourselves to God. 

Lev 20: 7-8 “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.  Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”   

Romans 6:13 “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” 

Psalm 24: 3-4 “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?  And who shall stand in his only place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” 

Here’s my takeaway... If I keep myself pure and renounce sinful behavior in my life, I won’t be a potential tool in Satan’s hand that God can still use but rather a beautiful instrument in the hand of God. I don't know about you, but I want to be the beautiful instrument in God's hand.

2 Tim 2:21 “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 

Hope vs. Obstacles

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ‭” Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭18-22‬ ‭NLT

Reflection 

When we allow our earthly reality to anchor our hope, it weakens our faith. We need to anchor our hope in the truth of God's promises. Abraham is a wonderful example for us to keep our hope in God's promises. Abraham was 100 years old! That was his reality. His body was 100 years old, and scripture says his body was as good as dead and same with Sarah's womb. It was all shriveled up! Yet God said, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.” 

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping... Let me say that a little stronger. You can face your earthly reality… your facts and still have hope! You can still believe God's word to be true! That kind of faith strengthens us. 

With tenderness, I will admit that I do not understand God's ways. I do not understand why He heals some and not others. I do not understand the years of waiting or unanswered prayers. I don’t. What I do know is the character of my God and what scripture says. I believe his Word to be true. 

Here's my takeaway

I will not put my confidence in my weaknesses. I will not share my hope with my obstacles. My hope is in the power and the authority and the faithfulness of my God. The One who daily establishes His purposes for me! 

So, what has God promised you? What does God's scripture say about the situation you are in? What does scripture say about the heart of God? His heart for you? Are you committed and fully convinced that God is able? And if so, is your faith growing stronger? 

Your faith is not built on your circumstances. Your faith is built and strengthened because of who God is, what God has promised, what God's word says over your situation.

Are you saturated with scripture?

Many Christians are saturated with scripture and tend to be over stimulated with knowledge. 

For example, we regularly spend time reading the bible.  Some of us have the goal to read the bible in a year.  We memorize scripture.  We praying. We listening to worship music in the house and in the car.  We attend church and bible studies regularly.  We read Christian books and listen to sermons and podcast. 

You may be thinking, “That’s not a bad thing! What’s your point?” 

A few Sundays ago, I was reminded that we are not to just give mental accent to scripture. This truth has sat with me ever since I heard it.  Why?  Because I am one of those individuals. I love to be saturated in God's word. I love to listen to podcasts and read books. I like to share what I learned hence this post.

But let me ask you a few questions that the pastor asked the congregation. 

• What scripture did you obey today?   
• That person you struggle to love...  You know, the one that you have gossip and slander about.  How have you bridled your tongue towards them today?  
• How have your thoughts towards them been honoring to the individual and to God?  
• Today, how did go out of your way to ask them to forgive you?   
• Who did you actively forgive today?  Did you tell them? 
• How were you quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger today?  
• Who did you show mercy and grace to today?   
• Who did you serve today?  
• Today, who did you sit with and join them in their affliction?   
• In what way were you humble and put others before yourself?
• What steps today did you take to pursue holiness?

I think you get the point.  I sure did!  What scripture did you read/hear today that you obeyed and put into practice?  

James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” 

Surrender to Love

 

Psalm 131 

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; 

    my eyes are not raised too high; 

    I do not occupy myself with things 

    too great and too marvelous for me. 

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, 

    like a weaned child with its mother; 

    like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

O Israel, hope in the Lord 

    for this time forth and forevermore. 

 

Reflections from my spiritual formation class...  

What are you noticing about your patterns of intimacy or non-intimacy (attachment patterns) with others? What observations have you made about how these patterns have affected your relationship with God?  

 

I journaled about Psalms 131 as a result of this question. What does it mean to calm and quiet oneself?  It means to refrain, to hold in check, to calm down, to find a state of stillness within your soul. 

For me, the writer is saying you can’t calm and quiet your soul if your heart is too concerned with self (aka pride) and if you are haughty and have contempt (disregard) for others. But what about the next sentence? David talks about “things too great and too marvelous.” Could it refer to thinking (and getting involved) in matters outside the scope of your responsibilities or having expectations toward people and things that are too grand? Could David actually be suggesting that we mind our own business? Scripture doesn’t say… but I tend to lean towards it because David was a shepherd, and he kept himself within the boundaries of tending sheep until he was called to other things. 

David then uses the example of a weaned child. He doesn’t say weaning child, he says weaned child. Those are two very different things. A weaning child still wants their mother’s milk. A weaned child has already become detached (indifferent) and is content.  Why? Because his hope in the LORD. Faith develops hope. It is through the sanctification process (becoming mature in Christ) one is able to have a calm and quiet spirit because He puts his hope in the Lord. 

 

I feel I am a weaned child when it comes to intimacy with others specifically with my husband.  I daily live with the knowledge that my life radically changed in 2017.  The love and intimacy I have with my husband is a beautiful earthly example of God’s love for me.   

 

Part of the Spiritual formation class I took, we were required to read the book “Surrender to Love” by David Benner.  The book spoke deeply to me for several reasons.  I will address the weaned child but first I will go off on a tangent… The very first question in chapter 1 was something I could not move past for a while.  “Imagine God thinking about you.  What do you assume God feels when you come to mind?” 

If I am honest my first thought was “God doesn’t have time to think about me. He is concerned about the lost - He leaves the 99 for the 1 lost sheep.  God is the prodigal son’s father.  He is the father that is looking at the horizon, waiting for his son to return.  I am the older brother but instead of feeling entitled, I tend to feel unseen, forgotten, not included.  Those thoughts sound awful, but if I am honest, they were my first thoughts when I read the question.  I believe they come from 30 years of being single.  I was saved at the age of 4 and earnestly sought the Lord my whole life.  But as life passed by and I watched others get married and have babies, I felt unseen and forgotten by God. 

 

In “Surrendering to Love” the quote, “Those who surrender obey.  But not all who obey surrender.  It is quite easy to obey God for the wrong reasons.  What God desires is submission of our hearts and will, not simply compliance in our behavior" stood out to me like a sore thumb.  The feeling of being unseen, forgotten, not included I believe is linked to obeying rather than surrendering.  I have always been someone that just wanted to be good.  I wanted to please others including God.  I am the type of person that if you tell me what to do and I will do it.  However, with obedience comes an attitude/feeling of being “owed” something for doing what was asked.  Subconsciously I think I have believed, “I did want you told me to do, now reward me.”  Because I was not rewarded, I felt unseen or forgotten and subconsciously I must have thought God had more important things to do i.e., go after the 1 lost sheep. 

 

Some of my favor quotes from Surrendering to Love are: (added my reflection after the quotes) 

“But genuinely encountering Love is not the same as inviting Jesus into your heart, joining or attending church, or doing what Jesus commands.  It is the experience of love that is transformational.  You simply cannot bask in divine love and not be affected.” 

“Genuine knowing involves much more than head knowledge.  It involves a relationship; it involves the heart.” 

“But if our experience of God is limited to our thoughts about him, we have not genuinely encountered God.  And if we confuse our thoughts about God with personal knowing of God, we confuse theology with spiritual experience.” 

“Daring to accept myself and receive love for who I am in my nakedness and vulnerability is the indispensable precondition for genuine transformation.  But make no mistake about just how difficult this is.” 

“Transformation occurs when we bring all parts of ourselves into the banquet of life provided by our divine host.  Our fearful, angry and wounded parts of self can never by healed unless they are exposed to divine love.” 

“If God’s heart is to become mine, I must know his heart.  Meditating on God’s love has done more to increase my love than decades of effort to try to be more loving.” 

“Union with God is not the intimacy of two separate people but the intimacy of my self-in-God with God’s self-in-me.” 

 

“Surrendering to Love” is the invitation to go deeper with God.  For the past 20+ years I have seen the Lord as my bridegroom so the concept in “Surrender to Love” was something I had already allowed to define part of my journey with my heavenly bridegroom.  I know this contradicts what I just shared... God not having time to think about me... but at the same time I do see God as my bridegroom, and I do believe I have an intimacy with God as a result so the thought that he does not have time for me is something I am going to need to sit with and struggle through.

 

This is where the weaned child in Psalm 131 comes in.  The first time I went on a silent retreat (20 years ago), I went with no understanding of what I was doing.  I did not read a book or talk to someone ahead of time.  All I knew was that I felt the call to go away and spend time with Jesus.  I brought my bible, a journal, and Christian music.  The first day I spent most of the day reading scripture, journaling, and listening to music.  It was around noon on the second day when I very clearly heard the Lord say, “Are you done?”  I was surprised…  “Am I done?”  The Lord said, “Yes, are you done!?  Can you just sit in my presence and let me love you?”  This scared me.  I told the Lord, “I don’t think I can.”  But I closed my Bible and journal, turned off the music and just sat quietly before the Lord.  I was afraid.... About a half an hour later (it seemed like forever!) I felt the Lord say to me; “Can you let me love you like a bridegroom loves his bride?  Can you get “naked” with me as a bride does with a groom.  Can you stop performing and just be naked (spiritually, emotionally etc.) in my presence.  Can you image what it would be like for me to love every “unseen” area of your “body.”  This was a transforming moment in my life.  Side note:  I was 32 years old and single.  The guy I had been dating and was supposed to get married to, got cold feet and broke it off, quit his job and took off across the country.   It was a pivotal moment in my life.  I started a journey of really seeing and letting God be my bridegroom.  When I got home, I purchased a three stone diamond ring that symbolized God’s love for me (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).  I started going on “date nights” with Jesus and actively studied scripture and taught Bible studies on God as the bridegroom.  This new revelation overwhelmed me and for a long time I did not/could not share my experience with anyone because I felt people just wouldn’t understand. In many ways, this was the process of being weaned.

 

I have been married since 2018.  As I look at my married life, I see how freeing my marriage is due to being a “weaned child.”  I have done the hard work of surrendering to love and allowed God to be my bridegroom. I died to my dreams and desires of being married and having a family. As a result, I do not have the unrealistic expectations most women put on their husbands.  I look at my husband and see Christ Jesus wrapped in human flesh.  Jeff is not perfect, but I don’t expect him to be.  We have not had the struggles most marriages have.  When I share how wonderful our marriage is, most people say, “give it time.”  But time will not change things when one has surrendered to God's love.  We are both seasoned believers and because I have seen God as my heavenly bridegroom for 20+ years, I am able to love and receive Jeff without expectations similar to a weaned child that no longer wants its mother’s breast. I do not look to Jeff to meet my needs yet when he does (and he does it so well), I see Christ in him.  I see my husband loving me but even more importantly, I see Jesus Christ loving me through my husband.  I find myself daily thanking God (and Jeff) for loving me so well.

O my friend! Hope in the Lord 

    for this time forth and forevermore!