Chasing God’s Heart
By Sarah Walker
By Sarah Walker
For I desire steadfast
love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6 (ESV)
Hosea 6:6 (ESV)
Do we sometimes
get so caught up in “doing the things of God” and “carrying out His will for
our lives” that we miss the bigger, more important thing? Do we get so carried
away in our to-do checklist for God or in the “shoulds” and “oughts” that we
miss the very reason for our actions in the first place? Have we gotten so
caught up in our outward actions such as tithing, generosity, serving the less
fortunate, participating in the ministries we are involved in, even reading and
studying the Bible that we stop seeking God and a deeper relationship with Him?
No
matter what outwardly good things we are doing, if we have stopped chasing
God’s heart and have stopped seeking intimacy with God, we have become more
like the Pharisees concerned with the appearance and cleanliness of the outside
of the cup rather than the inside. [1]
God
doesn’t need our works to complete Him in any way. God doesn’t require our
works so that we are “more acceptable” to Him or so that we can earn our way to
Him. No. God, first and foremost, longs for our hearts to be faithful to Him.
He wants us to seek Him wholeheartedly. It is then from that place of love, of
intimacy, that we respond with our actions. Our actions are meant to be an
overflow of our relationship with God…not actions that replace our relationship
with Him, or actions with the intention of being “good enough” for Him.
When we
allow our checklist to get in the way of our relationship with God, heartfelt
repentance and turning back to God with our whole heart resets our priorities
and refocuses our steps. As we spend more time with God in intimacy, in prayer,
in studying His ways in the Bible, He will reveal more of Himself to us. And in
turn, He will open our eyes to the areas in need of Him where we are assigned
to go. At the right time, He will show us the need, give us the proper heart
for it, and He will then enable us to walk in that direction. And this time,
our actions will be borne from a place of knowing God and His love… rather than
from a place of checklists, of “shoulds” and of “oughts.”
GOING
DEEPER:
Take
some time away from the things you “should” be doing and chase after God’s
heart, asking Him to give you His heart and renewed vision for your steps.
Sarah
is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and
Scott are involved in a small group focused on prayer.
[1]
Matthew 23:25-26
