A Split Heart - Tuesday February 09, 2010
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 NIV
After a person becomes a Christian and comes under the lordship of Christ, there is not only a transfer of authority but a transfer of love. When Jesus talks about denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and dying to ourselves in Matthew 16 and other places, what’s He referring to? He’s saying, “Listen, inside each of us is a deep, deep, deep, deep love of self.” We may have pop psychology that tells us differently, but I guarantee you that you love yourself. Jesus is saying, “You’ve got to be broken of that selfish self-love, and learn to love Me.”
What is the Great Commandment? “’And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’. The second is this:’ Love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV).
Years ago when I was first challenged to die to my self-love and love Christ with all my heart, I got to thinking about some of the things that I loved. Someone helped me with an illustration: this person drew out a heart—my heart. It looked like a pie cut in wedges. Jesus said we should love God with all our heart, but I realized that my heart was split into many pieces. I did love Jesus—He definitely had a portion, but I didn’t love Him with my whole heart.
In the next day or so, I’ll tell you about my car, girlfriend, money, sports, and music. Stay tuned!
Submitted by:
Tom Short
Faithwalkers East 2008
Totally Committed to Jesus as Lord,
One-Year Reading Plan:
Exodus 29:1-30:10
Matthew 26:14-46
Psalms 31:19-24
Proverbs 8:14-26
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCB-ES: Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible B) The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy, Bible, New International Version, copyright B) 1973, 1978, 1984 by InternaB-tional Bible Society; (NKJV) are from New King James Version B) 1982 by Thomas Nelson; (NLT) are from the New Living Translation, B) 1996, Tyndale House Publishers; (ESV) are from English Standard VersionB., B) 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; (TM) are from The Message B) 1993 by NavPress Publishers.