With multiple dogs under my roof, playtime is a serious thing. There are 2 favorite toys: a Kong and a squeaky plush. One dog will only chase the Kong. Another will only chase the plush.
And then you have my dog Grace.
She loves chasing the Kong. She also loves the plush. She’ll chase the Kong but then all of a sudden will notice the plush and wonder if she’s missing out. The end result? She’ll be left standing alone in the middle of the room, while the Kong goes one direction and the plush goes another. Her indecision leaves her empty handed.
God showed me that this is the picture of a divided heart.
See, sometimes we’re consistently following God. We’re all in. But other times? We get distracted by the things around us.
Maybe your first thought is that you don’t have a divided heart, but a divided heart shows up in a variety of ways. We know that God calls us to love others, but sometimes it’s easier to cut them down than build them up. We know we should study God’s word, but it’s so much easier to just turn on the TV and watch mindlessly. We know that God calls us to give of our resources, but that tithe would cover the monthly payment of that new car we want to buy. We know that God calls us to be a part of a Bible-teaching church but honestly, sometimes we just want to sleep in on Sunday mornings.
The danger? If we toe the line, we can’t be fully committed to either side. We might be like little Grace, having nothing.
We run the danger of being the lukewarm believer warned about in Revelation 3:15-16: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
The solution? Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Half-hearted devotion never works. Spiritual success only comes when we commit fully to God. Where has a divided heart invaded your life?
Candle Sutton 