State Of The Heart

Some people have these great testimony stories about how Jesus saved them from this awful life of crime or drugs or violence or all of the above. He pulled them out of this deep dark pit and turned them completely around. To outside observers that barely new these people there was an obvious and dramatic change. There is no question that something happened to them to dramatically alter their lives.

Not so with myself and a number of others.

I'm not saying that Jesus didn't rescue me out of just as dark of a pit, but I'm saying that the casual outside observer standing at a distance might not have a clue about it.

The reason? My life was pretty good before coming to Christ and its pretty good now -- by the world's standards. I loved my kids very much then and now. I love my wife very much then and now. I had a good job then and now. I drove a decent car then and now. I wore close to the same clothes then and now. To the world, nothing is that different. I just "got a little religious or something".

Understandable.

Its understandable because the world can't see inside my heart. There was some pretty unpleasant stuff in there that I don't really want to post. Its gone now, replaced with a love and focus on Jesus Christ. Praise God for that! Sure, sometimes dark things creep back into it, but I now have the power to resist it, instead of being a slave to it.

I heard Brian talking about just this thing and was so happy to hear him talk about others with the same story. Life looks grand from the outside, but just ask these guys where their hearts were at.

Its also understandable because the world wouldn't call any of the activities I used my time for sinful. Of course not, the world doesn't like that word sin. But there is no way to sugar coat it. My attitude was "Thanks God for this great life -- I'll just go blow all my time trying to enjoy myself; after all, you just want me to be happy." What bunk. What a lame excuse for being selfish, ignoring God, not caring about others, and teaching my children, without thinking about it, that life is all about how much fun you can have before you die.

Thank God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for saving me from such madness now, while my children are still so young. I pray that they grow up to be strong Christians.

Grace and Peace