We often seek God’s favor by offering Him nothing more than the outward actions of worship. But what God is more interested in is our hearts, and if our hearts are not truly given to Him in godly sorrow, then nothing else will be acceptable.
God is not pleased by the mere mechanical performance of acts of worship. There must be consistency between our worship and our character. If we disregard God in our hearts so that our daily lives are disobedient, our worship is unacceptable.
God’s kingdom is the realm of His rule, a spiritual domain within hearts surrendered to His will. Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, a call for each of us to live in alignment with His divine sovereignty.
Our hearts are happiest when we want the same things that God wants and when those things are granted to us by His grace. To know that our deeds have been harmonized with our Father’s will is a wonderfully refreshing feeling.
Although there is some difficulty in choosing the life that God offers, it is no difficulty at all compared to what is encountered on the path to death. And choosing life over death is also easier than living in the limbo of not deciding.
It is the justice of God that makes His mercy meaningful. Just as our love for God would mean little if we were robots who had no choice but to love Him, God’s mercy toward us would be meaningless if punishment were an impossibility.
The goal of God’s commandment is love: a love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. True faith seeks God and results in love, marking us as disciples. Without love, our spiritual journey risks missing the point entirely.
Physical, mental, and emotional growth may be important, but it’s even more important to grow in the spiritual dimension of our nature. We need — every day — to be moving away from the mortality of the body and toward the immortality of the spirit.
Christianity is a path through the world, not a detour. As Jesus prayed for His apostles, we too are called to live “in the world” but not be “of the world,” rejecting worldly values and dedicating ourselves to God’s mission of compassion.
It simply can’t be said too often: we must seek God with our whole hearts. Only a single-minded focus on our Heavenly Father will get us where we want to be. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
