The Fruitfulness of an Undivided Heart

‘What a difference a year makes’ is a point often made. For within the earth’s annual orbit around the sun, great distances are covered. Progress is certainly being made as the laws of planetary motion are obeyed; energies are being unleashed, forces are at work as the four seasons run their course; laws that are constant and perennial in their activity produce movement and change without any diversions. This is not so with the behaviour of mankind, for our path is unpredictable, variable and uncertain, because it is subject to free will and led by the desires of the heart. We are exhorted in Proverbs 4:23 to “Keep our hearts with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”.

If there is one thing that will blight a promising Christian Life and the fruit that it produces, it is one where our attentions and interest lie so far away from the things of God, that the soil in which they are planted can only bring forth that which is of the earth. We often present ourselves to God as ‘Vessels to be used’ – but the power and effectiveness that could be is often diminished because its spiritual content has been watered down by the altars that we worship at and the compromise that they bring and demand.

One of the biggest perils that the Church faces in today’s society is the number of devotions we can have and their effect on us. What do we pay homage to? Where do my/our true allegiances lie? An idol is an object of love and admiration; it is the thing that we give warm to above everything else. The gods of today are many and varied; they are subtly dressed up in culture, and are much in evidence in our materialistic society. We must come to realise that true worship and devotion to God does not rest in an outward display of service, but from a genuine undivided heart.

The first and greatest commandment is to love God with the whole capacity of our being, and with the whole volume of our feelings, for where such devotion lies, there can be no room for another to challenge. A divided heart can never bring forth ultimate potential and can become a hindrance to the fruit that our Great God desires to bring forth within us.

Yes, what a difference a year can make when our devotions are God-centred. So where do our true affections lie? What are our passions and what are they centred on? Will our hearts yield to the many gods that surround us in our society and miss God’s best for our lives, or will we worship and serve the One who is worthy to ‘Receive Glory and Honour and Power’ (Rev 4:11) with all the affection of an ‘Undivided Heart’ – The choice is ours!

Blessings to you all

From Jack

Author info

Jack has been a faithful member of the Free Methodist Church for 34 years, spending many of those years in leadership. He lives in Lancashire, UK, and has recently celebrated 60 years as being a Christian! Find our more about Jack and the story behind Jack’s corner: Treasures of the Word here.

Jack Kerridge