God gives us ample opportunities for correcting the mistakes we make. we are not without counsel, direction or guidance. God has sent us many messengers to help clear the path for Him into our hearts and lives. Our rugged, crisscrossing hearts, lost and hardened, are directed only by the whims they conceive for themselves. the human heart is a dark & horrible place. full of every kind of greed, malice & lust. It is the seat of pride & selfish ambition.

So, what needs to be done to help remedy this? how can our rock hard hearts be opened? how can that path be laid out? what needs to be altered so they are prepared for God?

thoughts must be laid bare. we will change outer appearances, and make things look real good. but we neglect to make the internal changes that actually hold sway over the external. we leave ourselves as whitewashed tombs, knowingly succumbing to our own false impressions.

we must change our thoughts. they must be made pure. this starts with a purging of evil influences. we cannot expect to house a pure mind if we keep feeding it filth. sex, murder and raunchy behaviours fill our “entertainment” venues, and we accept it as being okay. but these influences continue to chip away at us. we must allow God to guide what we funnel into our minds. watching crime dramas every night on tv, just letting all that soak in, cannot be a good influence. watching stories about cheating on spouses cannot sow seeds of satisfaction in our hearts. finding humor in the disrespect of authority cannot bring us to a place of submission. “entertainment” has not been a social enhancement for us, but instead has been a progressive pulling away from God.

our attitudes must also follow suit, if the path is to be laid open for God’s work in our lives. We have heard about the acronym J.O.Y. (Jesus first , others second, you third) and while the hokey factor runs strong with this, it still remains true. Our attitudes should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, taking on the appearance of a man, humbled Himself to the point of death, even the horrible death that occurs on the cross. unless our attitudes convey that same degree of humility.

our eyes must be tuned in to see the world, and those around us, as Jesus did/does. we cannot claim to follow Jesus, and still ‘pass by on the other side’ when we see a need. if something would have drawn Jesus’ eye, and spurred compassion in his heart, then our eyes must seek out these things as well. if there is injustice taking place, we need to help be a correcting influence, not an enabling one.

our speech directly mirrors what is in our hearts. if there is filth in our hearts, filth will come from our mouths. if there is righteousness, then righteous speech will come. there is no great mystery to this one. the words of the mouth reflect the heart.

and our hearts are greatly in need of correction. if our eyes see a need, then our hearts should be moved to help fill that need. our hearts, attitudes and eyes are all connected in this respect. if our hearts are guarded from the world’s offerings, then they will be that much more receptive to God’s influence. but if we have accepted what the world offers into our hearts, then the struggle may all the more difficult.

our ideals in life are shaped by all these things as well, and will change with God’s influence, if we are open to His work in our lives.

our socio-political viewpoints are in the same boat.

and the very worth we place on those around us, their value (as wee see it), is even affected by all this as well.

We need to be straightened out, so that our hearts, minds and attitudes can be in line with the Heart and Mind of God. This is obviously something that we cannot accomplish on our own., and it requires the desire to see it all played out in our lives. We have to take a hold of the helping hand of our Creator-King and let Him lead us daily through this…

Does God still send messengers today?

What is our reaction to them?

How do people feel about being talked to the way John the Baptist spoke to people?

What does being ‘open’ to God’s influence even mean? Does an ‘open’ attitude equate with submission, or just a willingness to listen (and nothing more)?