One of the issues of my ministry was that people who passionately served the Lord at a certain point would lose all enthusiasm and dedication. They had surely repented from the sin of being their own Lord and believed in Jesus as Lord, and out of gratitude for great salvation and love they received, devoted their lives to the Lord, but why would this fire and devotion disappear? How can we solve this problem?
As I was searching and reflecting, God showed me that it was because of our "failure to guard the heart". Even though we have received salvation and know the Word of God, if we fail to guard our heart, we return to a life of slavery under the devil and are unable to enjoy an abundant life in Christ.
God said “Above all, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Guarding your heart is the wellspring of life. This is because it is within our heart that we repent of being our own masters, and it is in our heart that we receive Jesus as Lord and receive life (Romans 10:9).
The moment the archangel, in his heart, had the thought of taking over God's throne, he became the devil. (Isaiah 14:13) And the reason that Adam fell from God (Genesis 3:5) and the reason death came to all men (Romans 5:12) is because in their hearts, they did not think it worthwhile to keep the knowledge of God and in their hearts, became their own masters. Sin begins in the heart.
God does not look at our actions, but our hearts (John 4:24). As the Word of God says, when we lust in our hearts, we have already committed adultery (Matthew 5:28) and when we hate our brothers, we have already committed murder (1 John 3:15). It is in the heart where everything is determined.
Therefore, the heart under the reign of Jesus is heaven and can enjoy a heavenly life even in this world. These people can rise again in any situation (1 Corinthians 4:8) and, like Paul, can rejoice always, even in prison (Acts 16:25).
When I had been diagnosed with lung cancer several years ago, there was no blame, worry, or fear in my heart. Rather, because of the Lord in my heart, I was overflowing with great joy and peace.
The devil blinds the minds of unbelievers to veil the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), and takes the Word of God away from us by desensitizing our hearts with life’s worries, the temptation of riches and worldly pleasures (Luke 8:12,15). Even more, the heavenly life (Romans 14:17), and spiritual discernment are taken away (Romans 12:2), and before we know it, we go back to the miserable life of being a slave of the devil.
To Christians, worry is the greatest enemy. This is because the worries of this life, like sexual immorality, debauchery, and drunkenness, are a scary sin that desensitizes our hearts.(Luke 21:34). What is the secret to guarding my heart? It is the Word of God and prayer. God promised when we are not anxious and pray, he will guard our heart (Philippians 4:6-7). Thus, when our hearts are filled with His Word, whatever temptations and worry come our way, we can discern and guard our heart.
By guarding our heart where Jesus lives, I hope that we will enjoy an abundant life in Christ Jesus and live to please God.
<
Disclaimer:
The content is originally written in Korean and included in The Kukmin Daily newspaper. Only The Resurrection translated this for limited distribution. We have attempted to provide an accurate translation of the original material in English, but due to the difficulties of translation slight differences may exist.
Source:
www.hmuchurch.com
www.kmib.co.kr
