“The LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look at outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 (NRSV)

“As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” - John 7:38 (NRSV)

THE SPIRIT: CHOICE

“Especially, on the present point, human life as a whole does not run by will alone. . . . Nevertheless, life must be organized by the will if it is to be organized at all. It can only be pulled together ‘from the inside.’ That is the function of the will or heart: to organize one’s life as a whole, and, indeed, to organize it around God.”

Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” While Descartes originally said this to prove he could state something beyond any doubt, there is also truth to the statement in Christian spiritual formation. The way we think and feel directly impacts how we make conscious, free, and creative decisions. This place of decision-making is called our spirit, biblically understood as the heart, the core of our being, which includes our will and character.

The heart can easily become entangled and fixated on the wrong things. The aspects of life we think are good and helpful may leave us floundering in a dark, chaotic state. Dallas mentions that a fragmented heart away from God “wills many things. . . . Turned away from God, thought and feeling fall into chaos, and the will . . . cannot but follow”.

As cracked image-bearers, if we desire for Jesus, our Master Teacher, to do local renovations, we need to acknowledge that we are composed of multiple, interconnected dimensions: heart, mind, body, social context, and soul. Like Paul’s image of the body of Christ, when one part is affected, positively or negatively, we feel it in every dimension of ourselves.

Making good decisions begins with recognizing what is foremost in our thinking and learning and understanding how our thoughts align with God’s thoughts.

REFLECTION

Set a timer. For one minute, write the thoughts that come to mind. Notice: Do they pull you toward God or away from Him?

PRAYER

O God, help me want to want to do Your will. Amen.