Heart

A wise man once said, "We are what we constantly do."

I think he may be wrong. I hold that we are what we value in our hearts, and out of that place we will do - cannot help but do. If I defined myself by my actions, I would be subscribing to a philosophy that all personal change comes from changes of external rules: if I decide not to eat meat, I become a vegetarian. If I still make mistakes and do the wrong things, simply because I am human, I am still a sinner, and a condemned man.

I prefer to think that change starts in the heart. Understanding and desire cause us to make and change rules for our own lives. This leads to changes in behaviour driven by that which has meaning to us. Meaningless rules do nothing but create rebellion for men and have no value to God. If my heart is to follow Christ's example because His sacrifice means something to me, then even if I make mistakes and mess up, I am not a condemned sinner but a redeemed man. This is how we should understand the framework for the Christian life.

I heard it said, "In all His creation, God's children are His greatest glory."

Think about this. What does it mean for our hearts? Imagine a heart that beats in God's glory. Will that heart be denied its true desires? Will the Maker deny the purpose of what He has made? Is life and growth simply our dreams being slowly untangled from our complicated misunderstanding of ourselves? If my heart is to see His words catch hearts up like wildfire, why am I shocked to see it happen. Why am I shocked that the fire is wild and beyond control or understanding?

Maybe, I am shocked because I did not understand my heart. It's a strange thing, to learn about yourself by the nature of the tasks God sets for you. Like having been given clothes at birth, that years later fit you as if tailor made just for you at that moment....