Hearts That Are Full

What thoughts fill ours hearts?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:16-17 ESV

At times my heart has been filled with self-criticism. It has been filled with fear and disappointment. It has been filled with thoughts about how I have been wronged or how limiting my circumstances are. I imagine you all are much more spiritual than I am. You aren't critical of people or self occupied right? Ha.

The word of Christ is the word of grace and when that fills us thankfulness is one of the results.

'Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
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Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.'
- 'Just As I Am' by Charlotte Elliott (1800s)

I love that hymn and many others that describe the God of the Bible. A God who knows the thinking of the world and how easily it can penetrate into our minds. He pleads with us to let a different mind dwell in us.

"O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;" - Psalm 15:1b-2 ESV

His thinking in us is a parallel to cohabitation. Who can live with God on His holy elevated platform of life? Those who are filled with His thinking. Those that won't condemn themselves because of what Christ has accomplished at the cross look at God's holy hill and find a home there.

Theology can be dry or isolating when the concepts are divorced from God's character. Righteousness has never been about elitism. Righteousness is about the ability to hold our heads high and look God in the face because our guilt is gone. There is no shame in what we are thinking because God's words are echoing in our minds. Words of acceptance. Words of purpose. Declarations of love and commitment. His commitment to us.

So I come this morning. I come just as I am. I come with no excuses. I come spotless knowing that the reason I can make that claim is that my spots have been covered by shed blood and a robe of righteousness that arrived as a gift one day.

God, I want Your thinking to govern me. I want to bring it to my workplace and my breakfast table. When I am lonely I want to remember what you say. When I could be frightened I want the courage of perspective to fill me. When I am wronged I want to be immune to the heat of the situation that could inflame my heart.

The Spirit of grace is also The Spirit of truth. Let your light shine in me and from me today. That is my prayer for myself and those reading this right now. {smile}

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