The GPS of my heart
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thess. 3:5
Got any difficult people or hard situations you’re having to navigate right now? (Talk about a rhetorical question!) Where does your heart typically go when facing vexing and draining situations? What broken cisterns do you nurse from, what substitute-gods do you depend on, and/or what pseudo-lovers do you start calling?
Paul’s advice to believers in Thessalonica, who were facing just such a difficult scenario, is one I need to hear every day. The GPS of our hearts needs to be permanently set for the destination called “God’s love and Christ’s perseverance” all the time. This doesn’t mean we ever lose the love of God or that there’s something we can do to earn more of his love. It does mean that we forget, neglect, avoid, or simply don’t believe God’s love for us in the gospel. It means that we foolishly disregard the very gifts God has given us to help us stay alive to his lavish and outrageous love-the means of grace.
When this happens we try to persevere in all kinds of difficult situations/relationships in our own strength. How’s that one working for us? It’s Jesus’ perseverance we need. He persevered to the end for us by a life of perfect obedience and by a death of perfect sacrifice. He perseveres for us as our great Advocate before Abba, Father. He perseveres with us as our beloved Bridegroom. He perseveres in us as our only hope of glory. Let’s check the GPS of our heart as we start this day.