I love ice cream. I hate calories. Enter my life.
It was a few years ago when the local Dairy Queen started selling mini Blizzards, it’s like a 6 oz cup of sugary lactic joy. Now usually I wouldn’t go for a Blizzard but I figured in moderation that it couldn’t be too bad. However, I was very wrong.
After consuming said treat I went to look at the nutritional facts. Needless to say I was appalled when I saw it was 600 calories. How could you ever put so many calories into such a small cup?. Immediately I went to the ingredients for resolve and there it was, first item on the list.
“Milk fat and non fat milk”
What does that even mean? After I thought about the odd wording for a while it hit me. If you separate the fat from the milk then you can tell people the Blizzard is made with non fat milk. While technically true, it’s not honest.
We do the same thing.
We cover social media with Bible verses. Snap stories of worship with calligraphy on top. Post quotes from pastor’s message. Even serve on the greet team. We appear to be on the right track but deep down we have a hidden heart.
It’s the part of your life that you don’t let anyone see.
It’s the bitterness you’ve been holding on to. The secret internet addiction you have. The parties you attend with your other friends. The clothes you’ve stolen. The eating disorder you struggle with behind closed doors. It’s where people know you drink but no one knows how much.
Your hidden life is a reflection of a divided heart. One that is torn between God and the world. The Bible refers to this condition as being double minded. The symptoms are instability and the consequences are written eternally. I’m not necessarily talking about salvation but I am talking about the plans and purposes that God has ordained for your life.
When you choose a divided heart you choose a divided destiny.
Many believe that giving 90% should be acceptable. I mean, that is an “A” in college. But how would that ratio fly in other relationships? What if your spouse was faithful 90% of the time? I mean, that’s an “A” in college. Right?
1 Kings 11:6 says, “… Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done”
Oh Solomon followed the Lord. Just not completely, probably somewhere in the ballpark of 90% I’m sure. And because of this, he broke the covenant that the Lord had made with his family. This would mark the end of his lineage being king over Israel.
In that verse the word “completely” is the Hebrew word “shalame” which means loyal or whole. The root word of “shalame” is “shalom” which means peace. When Solomon divided his loyalty, it divided his peace.
When you divide your heart between God and the world, it will divide you peace. And this feeling of living in wholeness can only be found when you choose to fully surrender to God.
I know everything looks good on the outside but what’s in your hidden heart? Surrender it to God.