The Heart of the Matter

“To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Mark 12:33

We have been talking a lot about worship and a lot about sacrificing.

The only valid motivation for both is love.

Offer either to God – worship or sacrifice – void of love and it is a waste of your time.

As we have seen, we can worship many things but when we worship God, He alone knows the motivation of our heart. If you worship a career, it is unable to discern the intentions of your heart. The same can be said of worshipping material possessions, a ‘hobby’ or another person. As a matter of fact, the only one who knows the true motivations of your heart is God.

We don’t even know ourselves to the extent that God does.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying: “You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all the time.” To that we can add: You can never fool God! In your worship, learn to be honest before God. Don’t pretend when your worship is a struggle or when it is a sacrifice. God already knows, so express the truth to Him.

Ask Him to help you to worship Him with a sincere and honest heart.

Ask Him to remove the barriers and the “add-ons”

to your worship that are not motivated by love.

We all know from our relationships that love makes us vulnerable.

If that is the case, then why not be most vulnerable

to the one who loves you beyond measure!