Embrace Dependency on Jesus - An exhortation to check the posture of our hearts
I’ve been meditating on Psalm 103 for the past few days. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits.” David calls upon his entire being to praise God and to remember His faithfulness. God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. Do we remember how good He is and how dependent we are on His grace? Psalm 103 is not just a significant reminder to be grateful for everything the Lord has already done for us, but king David is calling our attention to the posture of our hearts.
Why do we do what we do? Why do we worship Him? Why do we spend hours praying? Why do we use our spiritual gifts? Is our ministry coming from a place of intimacy with Jesus and deep reverence for Him? If everything we do flow from our hearts, then it is necessary to check the posture of our hearts. If the posture isn’t correct, we will either become dissatisfied/complacent or entitled. In Psalm 51 we read David crying out to God after he’d committed adultery and murder, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” This is the same person of whom it says in Acts 13:22, “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” In his writings, we see David’s recognition of his need for God. Yes, even a man who was devoted solely to God did some things he wasn’t proud of when his gaze was not on God. If you have received forgiveness from God, you have freedom from sin-consciousness. This post is not about making sure you are getting everything right to please God. It is about checking our heart’s posture so that we can become more Jesus-conscious and dependent on His grace. What little foxes have you allowed to come into your vineyard and ruin the tenderness of your heart?
You may be asking, “How can a born-again believer fix their posture? How can I see transformation in my life?” The answer is in Romans 12:2.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
In the future I will write a blog post about renewing your mind and baptism of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, the solution is to first receive the love of Jesus. Then focus on mind renewal and growing in knowledge of your Savior Jesus Christ. Your mind is part of your soul which is also made up of your will and emotions. Imagine what will happen when you submit your mind, will, and emotions to God and allow them to be controlled by the Spirit instead of your flesh? This is the reason why I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit! What could we possibly do without Him?!
Now, imagine you are doing much better than you did last year. Things are going well in your life. Since we are on this topic of heart posture, I have another question for you. Would you be disappointed if you can’t be credited for the success or results in your life?
Do you remember how Jesus emphasized doing things (praying, giving, helping, etc) in secret? If we are motivated by a desire to be rewarded openly, we will never experience some precious things in our walk with God. When we value the audience of One over everything else, we will learn His ways. Do you know His nature, His likes and dislikes, what’s on His mind today, how He wants you to do an assignment that He’s given you, etc? Here’s another question to ask ourselves: Am I really dwelling in the secret place if I am not motivated by a pure and simple desire to know Him intimately? There is much more to learn and grow into as believers. In fact, one of the greatest signs of growth is realizing there is much more to learn. There must always be a hunger and desire to lean in closer to the Lord.
I remember as a kid I slouched a lot. My mother often reminded me not to slouch but to stand tall. A lot of people are unaware that they slouch. Initially when Mom would correct me, I would say, “I’m not slouching! I’m fine.” I thought I was fine until I saw myself in the mirror standing with my neck sticking out and my shoulders drooping. Ha! Then I considered Mom’s words. I have seen people who gain more knowledge and see some results in their life, become less teachable and less willing to listen. They seem to have a lot to say, but they exercise no self-control and struggle to honor people. They start to think that they know better than others. They start seeking people that they agree with, rather than people who are able to guide them to a deeper walk with the Lord. Their eyes are on the results and as long as their gifts are getting them results, they are satisfied. I am convinced that this is the reason many are deceived and the reason people overestimate themselves. What good is it if our lives are not fully surrendered to Jesus? Are we making ourselves great or pursuing satisfaction in knowing Jesus and making Him known?
Ask yourself, “What’s my spiritual posture like? Am I in alignment with God? Do I know that Jesus is my source, my prize, my everything?” A good posture does a lot of good for the body. Likewise, a good heart posture does our whole being good. How sad it is to forget the zeal with which the Lord pulled us out of so many situations! How is it that we need Him so badly till He lifts us up? Do we not need Him after He’s lifted us? Did we choose God first, or did He choose us? Do we love because we are gifted and anointed, or because He loved us first?
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-8
How do we measure spiritual growth? How do we know whether we are fulfilling His purpose for our lives? How do we know if we’re doing the will of our Father? Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been given to us by getting to know Jesus personally and intimately. When we talk about maturity, are we thinking in terms of how many miracles, signs, and wonders we can perform in His name? How much we can prophesy? How much more confident we are in ourselves? Is not our goal to mature in our experience of Jesus, so that we may be conformed to His image? How else do we live surrendered lives like Jesus did? My prayer is that all may return to the feet of Jesus, which is the posture of a person who is in awe of their greatest treasure.
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” 1 Peter 5:6
“Having begun [your new life by faith] with the Spirit, are you now being perfected and reaching spiritual maturity by the flesh [that is, by your own works and efforts to keep the Law]?” Galatians 3:3
