Seven Longings of the Human Heart - Longing #6: Longing to be Wholehearted

  I'm continuing with sharing my brief descriptions of longing #6, referring to the "Seven Longings of the Human Heart," by Mick Bickle & Deborah Heibert's book.

If you would like a copy of the book, you can find it at ihopkc,  Amazon, or Christianbooks.com. (I'm not getting any commission mentioning this book or sharing links.)

 

 

 

Longing #6:

Longing to be Wholehearted

In the greatest commandment, it calls for wholehearted devotion and love to God. There are no exceptions, no areas set aside or separated from fully loving God.  No holding back. (This makes sense since we can enter an intimate relationship without Shame. This was commissioned to lovers of Jesus and likened to a "lovesick" bride waiting for her bridegroom. This longing involves our heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is of eternal effect giving and receiving pleasure that surpasses any other object or person could even attempt to fulfill.

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Wholehearted is such an interesting word -- not because it is a complicated word but because the power of simplicity in it. I don't know anyone who doesn't want to be wholehearted, yet most people I come across make an elaborated web of excuses why they are not.

When God calls us to live in a "higher" way of living, He is no longer giving human excuses any power compared to the power of Jesus.

The life of wholeheartedness is not dependant on circumstances, emotions, or "personality," because being born again takes us out of the equation of being bound to those promotions and limitations of self. 

We can be wholehearted because Jesus gave us a new life that promises that we don't need to rely on the things the world relies on. We can live wholeheartedly because of Jesus, and that's it!

Sounds too good to be true? Maybe this sounds a little foreign and strange to you?

The life given over to Jesus will always be foreign and strange to many and that is why the good news is so amazing. Oftentimes, we try to make things more complicated than they really are.

If you are finding that you have areas in your life that seem stuck from living wholeheartedly with God, take some time this week to ask God to reveal what is it that is holding you back.

Can you trust Him enough to release it to Him and move on?