Check Your Heart : Sam Lim
Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)
16 And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward.
When I look back in the past, I realized how I failed to appreciate and respect the meaning of lent. As a Christian, I am guilty of viewing lent as a way to maintain a temporary "healthy spiritual discipline" that, in time, would remain permanent as opposed to honoring God. When we attempt to run with this fleeting hope, which stems off from our own will…we find ourselves easily discouraged, burned out, or lose interest. In essence, this dissuades us from valuing the fullness of what Jesus Christ is capable of doing in our lives.
Recently, I began to put into practice fasting. According to Mathias Nygaard, he stated that "the practice of communal fasting in the early church set Christians apart from Jews and the surrounding pagan society." Often we tend to get lost by following the worldly perspective as opposed to what we believe as Christians. In "Workplace Grace," Bill Peel and Walt Larimore quoted, "When the most powerful, life-altering force in the world-the gospel of Jesus Christ-is left behind at church or at home, workplace values will mold our character." The authors stated how the only difference between Christians and their non-Christian coworkers is on Sundays. They continued to emphasize how the workplace can overwhelmingly impact the human heart based on the sheer force of time and focus that is spent.
In the book, "Knowing God," J.I. Packer wrote about the dimensions of God's love. He begins by using Paul's letter to the Ephesians. "May have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18-19, ESV). J.I. Packer explains how "the paradox in his language reflects Paul's sense that the reality of divine love is inexpressibly great." He reminds the readers that "Christ's love was free, not elicited by any goodness in us. It was eternal, being one with the choice of sinners to save which the Father made before the creation of the world." He summed it up by stating, "it was His sacrifice of himself on our behalf as the demonstration and measure of his love for us, the love that we are to imitate in our dealings with each other."
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ calls us out by asking us about our hearts. In the ESV commentary, "the mosaic law required only one fast a year which was held on the Day of Atonement. Aside from fasting food, the Israelites would humble themselves by praying, mourning, and wear sackcloth." We need to remind ourselves to stay true to what we believe. If not, we are only deceiving ourselves and fail to give God glory. Jesus Christ was not afraid to exploit the motives and intentions of everyone's heart. He calls you out and reminds you to be honest with your relationship with Him.
In the bible, we are reminded that "fasting is a matter of the heart which is between you and God." Initially, fasting is one of the spiritual disciplines in which I failed to understand and respect in the past. It was not until recently where I am reminded to give thanks to Him with my current and future provisions. It serves as a reminder to depend and to trust Him completely.
During Lent, as we take this time to reflect on His death on the cross for our sins… we are reminded that there are different areas in our life which we can grow as we continue our walk with Him. I ask that you do not wait to grow in your relationship with Him. Take the initiative now. For our lives to be transformed, renewed, and grow….we need to ask ourselves if God is leading and to check our hearts.
Blessings,
Sam Lim