Duties Included in Keeping the Heart
Flavel, John (2010-08-03). Keeping the Heart. Kindle Edition.
"Frequent observation of the frame of the heart. The heart can never be kept until its case be examined and understood."
Proust wrote, “No man is a mystery, except to himself.”
How many times have you thought, “I can’t believe I did/said that!” Well, there ya go. We need to examine our hearts regularly. But we need help to do it well. We talk of being able to do all things through Christ who is our strength. Well, here’s one of the “all things” we avoid.
Means: Make a list.
What makes you laugh? What makes you cry? What hurts you and provokes anger? What brings you satisfaction? What brings you security? What do you ache for? What do you fear?
Which of those things are in line with your profession – or not?
Why?
It includes deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders.
OK, “humiliation” is a tough word – but it is also a good intervention word. Flavel is talking about what you may have just discovered in the above exercise. These “evils” and “disorders” have to be robbed of their power in your heart and the best way for that to happen is to lay them out before God.
Consider the sacrifice Christ made for those things. Consider how He did so to enable you to humiliate them – to see and acknowledge their shameful presence in your heart. BUT – do so ONLY if you are firmly aware of the fact of God’s grace in your life.
This isn’t about beating yourself up. It is about beating the bugs out of the rug – the evil and disorder out of your heart. Denial is so easy and so seeing becomes hard. Denial is so easy and so dealing with evils and disorders is so messy. The longer the evil and disorder remains denied the longer it works against your growth, stability and comfort.
I knew a man who after a year of literally living on OTC indigestion medicine finally went to the doctor. To his horror, he had stomach cancer and it was too late to really do anything curative about it. So it is with the evils and disorders that live in our hearts – though we are alive “in” Christ these things make our hearts dead to Him. They are like the veil in the Temple were it to be repaired. We cannot fully know the comfort and security of being His because of these things.
Means: From the list take the evils and disorders you find to the throne of grace.
Confess them and confess their hurtfulness to your spiritual health.
Ask God to help you to begin to remove (humiliate) them.
Ask Him where to start.
Perhaps even keep a list in your wallet or purse so that when you pray you can always have a reminder of your deep heart need.
It includes earnest supplication and instant prayer for purifying and rectifying grace when sin has defiled and disordered the heart. “Whatever thou deny me: give me a heart to fear thee, to love and delight in thee.”
This is praying “for.” Above we took the load to Him. Here we ask for what we need, “purifying and rectifying grace.”
Means: Good old regular and strong, “on your knees” prayer.
Make use of David’s prayers such as we find in Psalm 23 and following.
Make use of the recorded prayers of others as can be found in the book, Puritan Prayers.
Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before Thee. But Thou hast given me another master and lord, Thy Son, Jesus, and now my heart is turned towards holiness, my life speeds as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to Thee. Help me in all my doings to put down sin day. Grant me grace to bear Thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever. Anonymous (2010-07-01). Puritan Prayers (Kindle Locations 105-110). . Kindle Edition.
Write out your prayers.
It includes the imposing of strong engagements upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin.
This is head work. How do you avoid those things which encourage, sustain or implant evils and disorders in your mind? It is not only a matter of what you decide to forego or abstain from, but a matter of what you will take up, engage in and practice.
What will you choose to replace that which you find to your detriment? How will you fill the minutes, the hours? What will serve you to your benefit and growth in godliness?
These are not “laws,” but choices. These do not determine “if” you are His but rather “how” you are His and how you give His Spirit the means and opportunity to heal, restore and strengthen you. It can be as simple as not watching a TV show to as complex of breaking off an relationship.
Where upon your path do you stumble? What is it that you stumble over? Who is it that is a stumbling block to you? These are the things concerning which you need to make strong resolutions – choices.
Though God can use these things, He cannot bless them. Their use is limited to His conviction of your heart. The blessing comes from taking the medicine He prescribes. Though the medicine taste bitter, even nasty, we know it is all and only for our good and His glory.
Means: Make a list, pray about where to begin and then begin. Do so being as gentle and gracious with yourself as is He.
Who
What
When
Where
Choices have two ends: the choice to “not,” and the choice "to.” As we choose to not we must choose to do. In that list, make a column of what will replace that which you have marked for elimination. Prayer, study, fellowship with other believers, worship – all these are good and godly replacements.
Our modern age supplies us with countless opportunities for choosing good things (as it does for evil). I know that when all else fails I listen to sermons by Alistair Begg or read books written by one of the Puritans. These choices may not be for you, they are but two options.
It includes a constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts. He that will keep his heart must eat and drink with fear, rejoice with fear, and pass the whole time of his sojourning here in fear. All this is little enough to keep the heart from sin.
This is a choice as well. You must choose to save your heart for God and godly things and resent that which works against it.
You who are fathers – would you have less concern for your heart as you would for the safety and purity of your children – your daughter? You mothers, would you feed your newborn from a dirty bottle? Young people, would you allow harm and evil to come to your dearest friends? So, as you would wish yourself to be in regards to these who are so dear to you – be so to your own heart.
Pray to live knowing that it is not only your heart, but it is His as well. Think of the price He has paid so you might walk after Him in security and confidence. Would you cheat on one who was so dedicated to you, who had given so much for you? Consider those times when someone you considered close shunned or betrayed you – what was that pain like?
Or think of something in which or of which you place great meaning. Would you allow someone to damage or destroy it? Are you cautious about who uses it – perhaps even who sees it? What greater meaning can any “thing” have than the redemption of your heart and His promise of His provision?
It is not sin to be selfish with your heart which He has redeemed. It is sin to allow it to be used and abused, tarnished or torn by sin and the agents of sin. We may give our hearts to others through Him but for no other reason than His service.
Means: Who or what would draw your heart from you – from Him? They have no such right, no such authority.
Keep your heart from their influence and certainly from their grasp.
It includes the realizing of God’s presence with us, and setting the Lord always before us.
This well could have been the first on the list for it is certainly the most important. The old quip that “character is what a man is when no one is watching,” is not off the mark.
God is always watching – and He knows our suffering and difficulties. He knows our grief. He knows our needs. He knows our weakness.
He wants His highest good for our lives here as well as in heaven.
It is hard to really understand, but true that God is our truest friend. He will never forsake or abandon us. He is always at work for our betterment in His grace and glory.
He is the one who can not only search our hearts, but heal them and strengthen them as well
Urged by my need, invited by Thy promises, called by Thy Spirit, I enter Thy presence, worshipping Thee with godly fear, awed by Thy majesty, greatness, glory, but encouraged by Thy love. Anonymous (2010-07-01). Puritan Prayers (Kindle Locations 121-122). . Kindle Edition.
Bless me by revealing to me more of His saving merits, by causing Thy goodness to pass before me, by speaking peace to my contrite heart; strengthen me to give Thee no rest untiI Christ shall reign supreme within me in every thought, word, and deed, in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world, works by love, fastens me to Thee, and ever clings to the cross. Anonymous (2010-07-01). Puritan Prayers (Kindle Locations 125-128). . Kindle Edition.
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