Divided Heart

Do you remember being in elementary school math class, trying to grasp the concept of division? Addition was easy. Subtraction a little harder. Multiplication more advanced still. But division...ugh. For many of us it was the first moment we realized math wasn't "our thing".

Division can be a tricky thing to get a handle on. But as bad as it can be in math, it can be even worse in life. Consider these situations:

- A marriage divided. The husband sees it one way. The wife sees it another. And nothing is able to bring them into agreement.

- A nation divided. That's not at all difficult to imagine right now, is it? Issues such as campaign finance, health care, or more locally, road repairs, seem to remind us just how divided a government can be.

Even more costly is a person divided. If it is severe, we talk about split personalities or being bi-polar.

Spiritual division within the soul is a problem too.

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove the heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 11:19)

God doesn't want us to have a war raging within us. He wants us to clearly see where He is leading and then go wholeheartedly in that direction. Think about it:
- Instead of being divided between the right and the wrong, God wants to put a spirit into us that consistently chooses the best.

- Instead of being constantly conflicted about priorities, habits, or attitudes that destroy us, God wants to give us a spirit that overcomes.

- Instead of being blown back and forth between choice A and choice B, one day feeling this way, another day feeling that way, He wants to empower us by His Spirit to set our jaw with a determination so we freely go the way of life.

Do you remember what problems some of the disciples were having before the Spirit came upon them at Pentecost? Peter would deny Jesus...three times in a matter of hours.

But when the wind of the Spirit blew upon Peter, his old heart of fear was gone. The heart that was quick to abandon the Lord was replaced by a boldness and a certainty that couldn't be shaken.

Do you need such a Spirit today? Tell God you need help with division in your life. Ask for an UNdivided heart; a heart that seeks Him first. "And all these things will be added."

That's the promise of Ezekiel. That's the promise of Pentecost. That's His promise for you right now, if you'll wait upon Him.

Grace & peace