God looks on the heart…

Have you ever noticed how many varying views there are in regard to what God considers important?  It may sound somewhat presumptuous for little ol’ me to tell you what God considers important, but hear me out on this one…

It seems that most people’s view of God and what matters to Him is somewhat narrow and limited.  I mean we are talking about God Almighty, right?  This is the same God that came up with the idea of people; thinking, living, breathing people.  The One that designed the human mind to have complete freedom of will, the ability to make decisions and process events leading to conclusions based on logic.  That is Who we are talking about right?  Okay now, with that in mind, let’s try to understand how He might work with us.  I say that because I think not understanding how He works with us or how much He loves mankind has led to many erroneous ideas about Him.  Just imagine that our All-Knowing, Everywhere-Present God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, is concerned because yesterday you said a swear word.  I mean really?  Is it even conceivable that this vastly intelligent Being that formed, made and created you is put off from having sweet fellowship with you because you cuss?  Or, what if you partook of a tad too much of the beverage last night?  Seriously?  Oh my lanta!  Maybe, just maybe we could give God a little more credit than that.  Look, I’m a person and have been a person long enough to kind of have an idea about the shenanigans people do.  Somehow with my incredulous intelligence I can understand how people function and love and accept them anyway.  But somehow God can’t?  With all of that superior intelligence and wisdom, He can’t handle what you do or for that matter understand that you sin at times?  I shudder to even ask the question… Of all of the serious and important issues that happen in a lifetime, is it logical that a relationship with God can be reduced down to whether or not I drink or cuss or smoke?  Lord help us all!   That’s just the kind of crapola that has driven people away from God for centuries.  I really think we need to give Him a little more credit than that.  If your behavior or my behavior is the most important component of having a good relationship with God, then NONE of us would have a good relationship with God.  If you think that I write these blogs about God because my behavior is always righteous, then maybe you should interview my family!  LOL  Again, oh my lanta! 

So what kind of things are really important to God?  I hope we can agree it’s not all this external silliness that might make us look good in the sight of man.  Hmmm?  The truth is that God does not go by the external appearance of things.  You (and I) aint foolin’ God by appearing one way and really being another way!  God sees beyond that.

For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. I Samuel 16:7b (KJV)

Did you get that?  What is important to God is your heart!  Your heart is that innermost part of you.  It is the tender, center of you, from where all your life flows outward.  When God sees you, He sees all of your frailties, all of your weaknesses, all of your foolishness, all of your shenanigans, and He decided to love you anyway!  He knows your thoughts for goodness sakes.  (scary huh?) You don’t have to be this or be that for God to love you or do things for you!  Don’t you see, that is the great ruse that defeats mankind! 

God wants to have a relationship with you.  He wants to walk and talk with you day by day.  He isn’t concerned with how successful you appear to be; how much it seems you have it together; how much swag you seem to exhibit [though having a tight relationship with Him is the ultimate Swag producer:) ].  He looks on your heart.  He knows all about you and still chooses you.  So it seems to make sense to choose Him!  Don’t let the world or those god-awful, media portrayed, Christians discourage you and your pursuit.  Not everyone who’s a Christian on the outside is a Christian on the inside.  (I know, right?) 

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this:  that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,”

declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV)

God (and I) aint mad at ya! 🙂