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It’s Not What
You Do, But Who You Are
By Chantell Smith
November 19, 2001
I
know all of us at some time have felt that we’ve failed God or that maybe
we’re not doing enough for Him. Maybe
you don’t witness with a holy boldness and bring a visitor every Sunday.
Maybe you haven’t sparked an unprecedented revival in your church and
community (yet). Maybe you’ve
even slipped behind on your routine of prayer and fasting.
Yet I believe that, to God, all of the aforementioned are secondary to
His concern with the condition of your heart.
The
Pharisees are a prime example. They
followed the rules to a “T.” Their
robes were exactly the right length, and they prayed and fasted on their
designated days. They talked right,
walked right and spit right, but what was the condition of their hearts? “Woe unto you scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Jesus admonishes, “for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within fill of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness”
(Matthew 23:27). They did
everything they were supposed to do, but what were they like on the inside?
Prime
example number two—the rich young ruler.
This guy was devout. He told
Jesus he had kept the commandments from his youth up (Luke 18:21), and Jesus
didn’t deny that he had. Yet
after Jesus put him to the test to see where his heart really was, the young man
was “very sorrowful: for he was very rich” (Luke 18:23).
Now, I don’t think anyone can honestly say that they have kept all the
commandments from their youth up, but this guy did!
He did all the right things, but when the test came, where was his
heart?
Similarly,
Cornelius was extremely devout (Acts 10:2), though he differed from the rich
young ruler because his heart was in the right place—he received God’s word
and because of that, the relatives and neighbors that he called together with
him were saved as well as he.
If
you would bear with me, I’ll whip out the all too familiar David/Saul
comparison. As we know, both Saul and David did some less-than-noble
deeds: David—murder and adultery; Saul—witchcraft and disobedience. The
difference lay in the conditions of their hearts.
When confronted by the prophet Samuel, Saul tried to make excuses and
wouldn’t admit his wrongdoing, thus prompting Samuel’s famous “obedience is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel 15:22) rebuke.
On the other hand, when confronted by the prophet Nathan for his sin,
David promptly confessed (II Sam 12:13).
Again,
I want to emphasize that the things we do
are of secondary importance to the people we are.
Do you think God would be more pleased with someone who “won” 10
people to the Lord to boast of what they’ve done to try to attain a badge of
spiritual superiority, or with one who worked closely with one person and with
much care and prayer, and led him to the Lord because he truly had a burden for
one soul?
Jesus
gives us a familiar yet startling reminder that all the things we do
are of less importance to him: “Many
will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
And in thy name cast out devils? And
in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye
that work iniquity” (Matthew 7: 22-23).
What matters to Him is not how many great spiritual feats we accomplish,
but rather, if we are willing to submit to His will.
In
making this point, I must clarify that in no way am I advocating neglecting the
essentials, such as prayer, fasting and Bible reading—how can we know His will
if we fail to act on these essentials?
Overall,
God’s foremost concern is the condition of our hearts.
May this psalm be our prayer: “Search
me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be
any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:
23-24).
ninetyandnine.com
©
2001, Chantell Smith
---------
Chantell
Smith is currently a sophomore at the University of Alabama.
She hopes that the next time one of her fellow readers overhears a prayer
from old sister so-and-so begging God for a relative to “do right,” that
he/she will silently offer up that he “be right,” too.
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