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1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
This scripture says that God looks at the heart and not at the outward appearance. This century job appointments depend on EQ (Emotion Quotient) rather than IQ (Intelligence Quotient). Your placement depends on how stable you are emotionally.
Our heart and our mind are two different sources of guidance for us from within. Our mind is the conscience which law and legalism whereas our heart is feeling and emotion. Our mind and our heart are always at war. A mentally healthy person's heart and the mind are at peace and agreeing with each other. The mind is logical and cannot be changed whereas the heart is deceitful over everything. So what kind of a heart does God looks for.
1. Healthy heart.
Deuteronomy 6:5-8
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
A healthy heart loves God. It is emotionally bonded with God. It is in love with God like a boy and a girl who are in love with each other. A healthy heart will always want to have a great prayer time with God. It has a passion for God. It falls in love with God's Word again and again. It feels close to God. It is not ashamed to open up the inner most feeling, whether hate or compassion, to God. It enjoys singing to God. It is emotionally up and down only to God like David in the Psalms does. Eagle soars up always keeps altitude. Lesson: Keep your feelings flying high for God.
2. Earnest heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Bible says ask, seek and knock. Instead we complain, grumble and give up. We all have desires but we don't get it because we do not ask. (James 4). When we ask there is no specific prayer but a general prayer because the heart is not sincere. An earnest heart initiates to pray with each other. An earnest heart fellowships eagerly. An earnest heart always initiates to help with the needs in the church. Cock always crows in the morning sincerely no matter whether it had a bad yesterday. Lesson: Cocks don't have to be reminded of the basic things.
3. Ambitious heart.
Psalms 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
An ambitious heart keeps the life pure provided the ambition is Godly. Jesus was ambitious to accomplish his mission of seeking and saving the lost. An ambitious heart does not build walls around the heart but it invites others to get in. What is the use of having a Mysore Palace, which we cannot see it? What is the use of having Taj-Mahal, which we cannot see it? As disciples we have a very beautiful heart. What is the use if we are not able to show it to others? Cat with a flick of the tail decides to ignore its master. No matter how close we want to get to the cat it will never get close to you. Lesson: Cats cannot be discipled.
4. Repent-ful heart.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
A repent-ful heart loves challenges. It looks for challenges. It looks forward for input. It craves for spiritual food. It learns from all sources. It takes notes when others teach somebody. It makes notes, as someone gets discipled by somebody else. It does not take things personally. It asks for challenges. It is willing to be open. A repentful heart is a soft heart. Pig when washed and scented always goes back to wallowing in the mud. Lesson: It has no conviction on its own.
5. Thankful heart.
1 Chronicles 28:9
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
A Thankful heart searches to find the things that God has done for it. A thankful heart is always ready to share good news. It considers every small thing that happens in its life and sees God behind it. It keeps a record of 'rights' God has done for it. Dog comes back and licks the master even if he kicks him out. Lesson: It does not keep a record of wrong.
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