Tell them to vote with a Christian heart…
Early in my calling, God asked me to contact congressional leaders on the state and national level on key issues, asking them to vote with a Christian heart. I never questioned what he meant; I assumed I knew — vote according to the teachings in the Bible. I made the contacts God suggested; however, these legislators, who were very vocal in proclaiming that their values guided them, failed time after time to vote in a way that would show that they were voting with a Christian heart.
God has prepared our hearts to be Christian hearts…
It was in 2017 or 2018 – I would have to check through my many journal pages to get the exact date – that I had one of many unexpected and unusual explanations given to me—this one was regarding the Christian heart. This experience follows:
I had just stepped out of the shower – my mind filled with thoughts about the many things I had to do — when my thought process was interrupted by one of God’s teaching moments. This lesson was to help me better understand what he meant by a Christian heart.
I heard God explain that he had placed the heart a little to the left in the body for a reason. That reason given: to keep us speaking and acting a little to the left so that more people are helped.
He wasn’t finished, as he continued to tell that Middle C on a standard piano is a little to the left of center. It is a centering point, bringing us back to middle C – a little to the left of center – for more harmony.
Most of all, “For proper balance in words and actions, turn your eyes upon Jesus, pay attention to his words and use them as a guide.”
As though summarizing what I had heard, these thoughts came to mind: Having a Christian heart means one hasn’t gone too far to the right nor too far to the left – hasn’t gone to the extreme, for that is excess and excess leads to sin — just a little to the left of center so that more people are helped. The person with a Christian heart is more balanced in thinking, not demanding ‘my way or no way’ but more ready and willing to work with others, to reconcile for the good of all. Most of all, the person with a Christian heart has a love for God and others. That person has taken to heart the lessons learned from the most perfect teacher of all –Jesus.
Then, the full impact of what I had just been told hit me – an epiphany: God had prepared our hearts from the beginning to be Christian hearts capable of being filled with love for all, especially God, and not out of balance but ready to reconcile differences so that all might have needs fulfilled. In other words, a person with a Christian heart desires to, ** ”Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” (**John Wesley also said, “There is no such thing as a solitary Christian,” so, be forewarned that united we stand as Christians or divided we fall.)
Checking to see if I had heard correctly…
I quietly stood very still for a few minutes just to make sure no additions were coming. Silence, silence, silence –a sign, I had found, that meant that was all for this learning session. It was time to check out the information given and to record what I had been told.
After quickly getting presentable, I went to the computer to check to see that I had heard correctly. I did an online search and found that it is true that the heart is a little to the left of center in the human body and that middle C on the standard piano is to the left of center. You can find this for yourself by a quick online search. Information that comes from On High is always true and will always serve as a positive guide to the way we should live.
As always after such a learning session as this, I felt refreshed, refilled. This would not be the last time that I would hear about a Christian heart. God found unique ways to teach the important points of his messages. This unexpected session was no exception. It was one of those ‘I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when’ times.
No room in a Christian Heart for …
A Christian heart is filled with love leaving no room for the 7 deadly sins. The 7 deadly sins, as God sees them, follow. As you read them and what each means, take notice that the word excessive is used in explaining each sin. Excess fills the heart so that there is no room for love for God, nor love for others: pride (excessive confidence or glorification in one’s self, possessions, political or religious affiliations or nation; an arrogant individual who shifts ultimate confidence from God to self), greed (obsession with accumulating material goods and putting the excessive needs and wants above God’s needs or man’s need for God; selfish desire for wealth, power, goods, or food), lust (intense or unrestrained sexual desire, an overwhelming, consuming desire or excessive craving), malicious envy (noun: an excessive feeling or excessive longing to possess something that belongs to someone else that is so strong that one wishes for something unpleasant or bad to happen to that person; verb: excessive desire to have a desirable attribute that someone else has, so much so that pleasure is taken when something happens to that person), gluttony (excessive eating or drinking; greedy or excessive indulgence), wrath (strong vengeful, fierce anger or excessive resentful indignation; behaving in a violent way; excessive, vindictive punishment for an offense or a crime; hate) and sloth (not willing to work or even to make an effort; excessive laziness or idleness).
NOTE: God led this messenger to know of the 7 deadly sins. He wants each of us to use them to evaluate what fills one’s own heart and what is seen in others. The definitions, with guidance from above, were made by combining and rewording definitions found in online dictionaries and in Bible dictionaries. The word excessive is found in the definition of each sin. Giving in to excessive desires leads to a sinful life. – out of the Light into the darkness.
Think of leaders—in government, in church, in families, in communities — being followed today. Do you see any of the above sins obvious in them? Many of us – leaders, even government and church leaders, as well as followers — are too willing to follow the want-to-be earthly kings or rulers who have demonstrated and are still demonstrating that they have sin-filled hearts. We follow. We not only believe them to be right because of their claims and the labels they wear, especially the political or religious labels, we bow to their will, we repeat their falsehoods, and that makes us complicit. Two wrongs, four wrongs, a hundred wrongs or even thousands of wrongs do not make a right. Playing follow the leader when the leader is a false leader is a dangerous game to play. These leaders work best in the darkness. When we follow them, we find ourselves in darkness.
“God says to ask: Have you ever worked in a dark room or closet to dress or get your clothing gathered to put on in a lighted room only to find, when you view your choices in the light, that you have mismatched socks, shoes, blouses, or shirts? You have chosen navy when you meant to choose black. The shirt you thought was white was cream colored. The shoes that you thought were a pair turned out to be similar, but not matching. You realize that trying to work in the dark results in wrong choices. It is the same when we figuratively work in darkness. We make poor choices and are influenced by others working in darkness. These choices have consequences.
A Christian heart does not build walls to shut others out; it builds bridges. A Christian heart welcomes all to the table. (Jesus set the example by welcoming Judas to the table, knowing all the while, that Judas would soon betray him.) One with a Christian heart does not resort to name calling, threatening language, using acts and language that divide or cause harm. A Christian heart shows compassion, understanding, seeks justice and mercy for all, and walks humbly with the Lord – just as the Lord requires. A Christian heart does not cause harm to the earth or its inhabitants, it is a consummate caregiver. A Christian heart does not listen to falsehoods, conspiracy theories, instead, it seeks the truth. A Christian heart does not support want-to- be authoritarians who are willing to do anything to gain that power and authority, rather, it supports those leaders who are unselfishly fighting for the soul of the people and the nation, seeking good for all. A Christian heart does not take up weapons – words, guns, knives, vehicles, etc. – to use against others. A Christian heart, instead, takes on the full armor of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the gospel of peace to make ready the feet, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (the word of God) – in order to take a stand against the schemes of the devil and his workers, against all the powers of the dark world, against rulers and authorities with evil intent, against false teachers, against those who seek to divide and weaken us so that they may conquer. Christian-hearted people do not devise and carry out plans that cause others to fail to lift themselves up. Such plans are the work of evil. Those with a Christian heart do not try to force their ways upon others with laws, threats, insurrections, etc.; they put into practice in their lives the principles that define a Christian heart so that others may see and want that for themselves.
Evaluation time…
Do you have a Christian heart? If not, what changes do you need to make? Better to judge yourself and make those changes now rather than wait. You never know when the time for your final judgment is coming. The Scout motto of ‘Be Prepared’ is a good guide, pre-planning is best. God says now is the time to begin making needed changes. Your Father who art in Heaven has given you anew the messages that will serve you well –if you accept them– in your forward journey, so fearlessly go forth.
Upcoming: Footnotes to ‘A Christian Heart’