Wholehearted

To be characterized by complete sincerity and commitment. To live with wholehearted devotion. To allow our yes be yes and our no be no. To free ourselves.


The more and more I read in the bible with one of my closest, most special friends, I can't help but notice how often we, as Christ seekers, are called to live with wholehearted ambition. Each and every time I read either "wholehearted" or "with all your heart" or even "with your whole heart" I cannot help but wonder, "how often do I seek Him, His will, His way, and His favor with my ENTIRE being?


If I'm honest:
     it's not very often that this sort of searching for my Creator happens.
     in the rough times, wholehearted seeking gets shoved to the back of my mind
     in the good times, wholehearted seeking only passes through my mind on occasion
     on the so-so days, this seeking gets drowned out in my to-do list of life.


Accountability helps me, a ton. Although, accountability only works if BOTH parties are willing to put their all into it. One sided accountability hurts both people. Accountability in which neither party are willing to be completely, wholly honest with each other, turns into just two friends hanging out. 


Wholehearted devotion isn't only for our spiritual walk, but it is a very real, a very common necessity for our earthly life. If we go around without commitment to our faith, decisions, promises, way of life, or even our own passions, the life we live will often feel meaningless, pointless, and unfulfilled. 


Devotion to our faith helps keep us committed to our decisions. So often, so many of us will make a decision, then allow something else to change that decision. If we make a decision, no matter how good it is or how bad it is, we need to at least have the devotion to see it to the end. We need to have the confidence in our Creator to turn everything around for our good like He has promised He would do for us.


Devotion to God helps us discover the passions He created us for. Each one of us is different, we all have our own minds, we all have our own passions, we all have our own dislikes. So it makes sense that we all have our own passion. That's the way we were created. The only way that I have found to discover what my passion and His purpose for me is, has been through a wholehearted searching Him and His being. 


How about you? Do you find it heart to consistently and obediently seek our Father with your entire being? If so, what tends to get in the way? If not, what tips would you have for those of us struggling with it?


Papa God,
    Help us all to seek you with our whole hearts. Help us not be lukewarm. Allow our thoughts, our actions and our motives to be rooted in devotion to you. Not just the reliance-on-You-because-things-are-rough attitude. Papa, we pray Your grace and love help us to discover exactly what a wholehearted devotion to You would look like. Give us a desire for You that we've never seen before.


In Christ's name,
Amen