“God looks to work in my heart more than looking at my work (temporal results). He cares so much about my heart. That’s good news. What’s He doing in your heart today?” — My recent social status update.

Of all the gifts the Lord could give a man, I’m so glad that He promises me a wonderful gift of a heart that knows Him.  This is a promise declared in Jeremiah 24:7 and then graciously delivered through Jesus Christ.

It’s a good thing, too, because Christ himself affirmed that the greatest commandment from God is for us to love and serve Him with a whole heart.  This is not a command to be taken lightly.  Yet, the way this gift of a new heart (see also Ps 51:10; Ez 36:26; Heb 10:21-22) unfolds, it is something that only He can accomplish:  Only Jesus can change a human heart.

Not Utilitarian Worship

One of the best sermons I heard this year was entitled “Beware the Fatal Flaw of Utilitarian Worship” – a look at the life of King Saul.  It made me realize how often I resemble Saul in working carefully to fashion appearances of dedicated service to God, yet at the core I tend to be utilitarian in my service and worship of Him.

Utilitarian worship is a tip of the hat toward God while maintaining full control over my heart and ways.

Check out the story of Saul in 1 Samuel, chapter 13.  Notice the Lord’s response to Saul after he partially obeyed, yet did not respect what God had told Him to do:  In verse 14, He declares that the ultimate solution to Saul’s utilitarian worship is a heart solution.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of image maintenance, and ignore my heart.  No matter how hard I work, no matter how “good” my image may appear, nothing else really matters more than a whole heart.  It’s where real joy lives.

If my heart is continually being changed by God’s gift as promised in Jeremiah 24:7, then I will move away from utilitarian worship.