Matthew 6:21-22, James 1:8
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
What of Today’s Verse…
The closing paragraphs of Matthew 6 are full of instances of a divided heart. The Greek word for care means that which divides.
Some are divided by anxiety. The anxious soul cannot take a strong straight course; any more than a man can sleep who is wondering whether he has bolted the front door or wound up his watch. Some are divided by contrariness–a most difficult and complicated disposition of soul. We would like to be pleasant, helpful, agreeable, and amiable, but are conscious of cross-currents that restrain and make us awkward and disagreeable, and we find ourselves rent between two strong influences, the one to be Christ like and gracious, the other to be distant and angular. Others are divided by fitful and passionate impulses. Happy are they who can hold them well in check.
Even St. Paul tells us that he was conscious of these two wills–the better self which longed to do the will of God, and the lower, selfish, passionate self, which brought him into subjection. St. Augustine tells us that, though the prayers of Monica, his mother, greatly affected him, he was constantly swept back from his ideal by an outbreak of passion.
Bunyan also illustrates the same condition, saying that two selves were at war within him. The Devil came and said, “Sell Him!” But he resisted, even to blood, saying, “I won’t!” But, as the Tempter continued urging, “Sell Him!” Bunyan finally yielded, and suffered an agony of remorse, as, on the one hand, he accepted Christ as his only Hope, and on the other, was prepared to barter Him away.
A divided heart lacks the first element of strength–it is unstable. The men who leave their mark on the world are those who can say: “This one thing I do.” But we need more than concentration, we need consecration. We must not only be united in ourselves, we must be united in God. Let us make the prayer of Psa_86:11, our own: “O knit my heart unto Thee, that I may fear Thy name.” Yield yourself to God that He may disunite you from the world, and weave you into His own life.
Let us Pray:
O Faithful Lord, grant to us, we pray Thee, faithful hearts devoted to Thee, and to the service of all men for Thy sake. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
Pray for Others
I see all people through the eyes of God.
I am easily moved to pray for those I hold dear, especially when one is hurting in some way. “I will pray for you” rolls naturally off my tongue. As I pray, I connect with that individual in Spirit and in love.
It may not come as easily to me to open my heart and pray for those who have treated me or someone else harshly. But I know that every soul deserves the upliftment of prayer. All of us carry a spark of the Christ Light. It is there for me to see if I see as God sees.
When I release any unforgiving thoughts or hostility, I allow God’s grace and wisdom to pour through me. As I focus on the goodness in all people, I feel deep compassion. In prayer, I help create a space where all are healed, including me.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.–Matthew 5:44
