It's a Heart Matter

I remember as a young child my parents telling me that Jesus was standing outside the door of my heart knocking. He stood and knocked patiently until I would open the door and let Him in. I think of this story a lot and how much it rings true. Our hearts contain our passions. We love, we hurt, we feel everything deep in our hearts. Doesn't it make sense that our Savior would want to enter into our hearts? He wants our love, our emotion. He wants all of us.

It's a heart matter.

When we open the door to our hearts and let Him in, we should open it wide. At times, I think however we try and limit how much we let Jesus in. Its like we tell Him, He can come in this room, but not in another. It can't work that way. Jesus wants to be a part of our whole life. We cannot have a complete relationship with Him until we let Him occupy our whole heart.

It's a heart matter.

We all want to feel that Jesus loves us. We all long to feel that He is there. We want to know beyond a shadow of doubt that He really does occupy our hearts. How can we know all these things? Well, we can know He does love us because He willingly went to the cross for us, to die for us. Is there anyone else in your life who would do that? Who would be beaten, spit on, and tortured for you? I don't know of any. That is true love. We can feel Him, by spending time with Him. We need to give up our own selfish desires and want Jesus more than anything else. He wants a relationship with us, not just mere words. Yes, He longs for us to tell Him we love Him, but more than that He wants to see it in our actions. When we spend time worshiping, praying, and reading the Bible we will feel Him in our hearts. But first we have to open the door wide and let Him fully come in.

It's a heart matter.

My favorite poem is entitled “Footprints in the Sand.” The story it tells shows the heart of Jesus. It tells the story of a man struggling with why at the toughest times in his life he sees only one set of footprints. He feels like Jesus left Him when things got tough. He is so hurt. Then Jesus reveals to him, that when he sees the one set of footprints in the sand that is when Jesus carried him. I know this to be true in my life. When I have felt I couldn't take another step forward, Jesus has been there. He carries my burdens, my hurts, my fears. He takes it all and helps me carry on. In this life your heart will get broken. At times it will feel like the pieces won't ever go back together. That is when you need Jesus the most. That is when your heart will feel the need for your Savior the most.
Listen to you heart. Listen to the pounding beat. Open the door and let Him in. Open it fully. When we become most vulnerable that is when He can come in strength. When we truly say I need You to be a part of all of me and hold nothing back, we will experience the love of Christ.

It's a heart matter.