whole or half

I was listening to a worship song in the car yesterday.  It was being sung by Jen Johnson about whom I know nothing at all.  Except that she is a wholehearted worshipper.   And the reason I know this is twofold.  1) I can hear it in her singing and 2) when I watch her on Youtube I can see it in her singing.   

Ive spoken in these blogs before about being wholehearted - giving absolutely everything to whatever you are doing, with focus and joy and abandonment.  I know God loves wholeheartedness in His people - not just that we are wholehearted towards Him but that we approach our entire lives from a position of having healed, restored and complete hearts.   Whole hearts are passionate hearts.  They dont respond out of hurt or disappointment.  They dont contain any trace of bitterness or resentment.  Whole hearts dont leak.  They are full and sound and good.  



And then theres the opposite.  Half heartedness.  Jesus talks to the churches in Revelation and condemns one for being half hearted.  Lukewarm.  Neither hot nor cold.  Just a bit ....meh.   Half heartedness makes Jesus sick.  We have all felt what its like to be half hearted about something or someone.  Its an unsure, wavering, uncommitted place to be.  Half heartedness doesnt achieve much.  It doesnt push forward to innovate and excel.  It is mediocre.  Nobody wants to be loved half heartedly.  God doesnt want to be worshipped half heartedly.   

Notice that Im not talking about big heartedness here.  Size doesnt matter when it comes to our hearts.  Percentage is what matters.  You can have a teeny amount of faith, but if you apply all of it to a situation mountains can move.  You can have a tiny heart but if it is 100% sold out for Jesus then you are wholehearted.   If your huge big heart is only 10% sold out to Jesus, well then He isnt really getting a return on His investment is He?

What are you wholehearted about?   What have you lost your passion for and are how somewhat half hearted about?   Your job, your church,, your spouse?  



Brother Lawrence was a monk who lived in the 17th century.  He wrote a book called The Practice of the Presence of God which is still in print today and which tells of his wholehearted approach to monastic life.  He is famous for being able to praise God in the washing of dishes.  He approached every waking moment with a whole heart and saw every act of daily life as an offering of worship to his maker.   I have quite a lot of work to do before I can rejoice in washing up and see it as my act of worship 😊 but I do believe its possible.

Im grateful to God for having mended so much of my fractured and bruised heart over the past years but Im sure there are still lots of repairs to be done.  In the meantime I want to be as passionate and enthusiastic and authentic as possible about everything I do .  Even the housework. 

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