1st Notes from “The Core Issue” by Christine Caine
October 26, 20101. Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Christians often leave their first love – Jesus – because they have allowed their faith to become a boring ritual rather than a breathtakingly intimate relationship with Him. When our Christianity has no life or passion, it becomes dull, tedious, legalistic, and mundane. We must commit to continually stretching our heart muscles so that we may know Him more intimately. We do this by seeking our Lord in His Word. To keep our hearts alive & vibrant, we need to maintain an attitude of gratitude & thanksgiving. In order to remain strong & healthy, God Himself must always be the object of our affection. When our hearts are full of zeal for the Lord, even the most mundane, good works are deeply fulfilling. Every single day, we take steps toward fulfilling our spiritual destinies simply by choosing to hear and obey the voice of God and His Word. It is when we have a heart that is strong, unobstructed, and passion-filled that we will be able to love the Lord our God with all our heart, regardless of the challenges, adversity, and circumstances we encounter.
2. Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind. When the gifts of the Spirit on a person’s life are greater than the fruit of the Spirit in a person’s life, that life will begin to crumble. As we choose to allow God to enlarge, stretch, and strengthen our soul muscle, we will be able to fulfill the 2nd facet of the Great Commandment: loving God with ALL of our soul. And as our core begins to change, the spiritual fruits will become the marks that define us as followers of Christ. That’s the beauty of a soul restored, renewed, and ultimately reborn. When our inner & outer worlds flow from the grace of Christ, we won’t have to strive to act like a Christian; we will simply be one. Our mind is vital in making our internal transformation an external reality. A strong heart & soul muscle reveals our potential, but it is the mind muscle that unleashes it. The quality of our mind muscle depends on how much of God’s truth (as found in His Word) we believe & apply to our everyday lives. Our thoughts have to be supplanted by the truth of the Word of God. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2) We are exhorted to “set our mind on things above & not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2).
*How can we continually set our minds on things above?
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.” (Phil 4:8) It’s so important to read & meditate on the Word of God. If we don’t know what thoughts are contrary to His, how will we know what trains to avoid?
