Invite God in every room of your heart

"Do you not know this : your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in you and that you have received from God [...] ?" 1 Corinthians 6.19

When you become a Christian, something incredible happens: God comes to live in your heart. You become the home of God. If I really like being at home, it's because I feel good. Likewise, being the abode of Christ, we must make sure he feels well at home. Is there anything in my life that makes God uncomfortable ?

Ask God to help you take away from your life anything that is not pleasing to him.

If we truly want to live the Christian life, we must give our entire heart to God and let him access every room of our "home". And when God asks us to give him all that is in the different parts of our heart, let us rejoice, because it is the prelude to something bigger and better. Here are some "pieces" that you may need to give him access to:

Your spirit. What is the subject of your thoughts ? The more you think of something, the more it becomes part of you. In fact, your thoughts determine the course of your life. God knows them, so occupy your mind with what is pleasing to Him (Philippians 4.8). And remember that you can choose what to tie your thoughts to.

Your desires. We must reach the stage where we can say to God : "I only desire what is according to your will, and if I ask you something you do not want me to have, do not give it to me." Our desires can be a source of enormous problems in our lives - especially when someone else receives something we would like ...

Your friends. Who are your friends ? What are your topics of conversation ? I am talking about people with whom you spend time and to whom you open your heart. Do your exchanges create a smile on the face of God ... or do they grieve ? Look for friends who love the Word of God and be creative in helping others.

The image you give of yourself. Do you wear good fruit, or do you just figuratively ? I encourage you to work with excellence and integrity. By choosing not to report gossip to the office, to do your work seriously, or to take part in activities that displease God, you honor him.

Your distractions. Do you let God decide which movies you watch, which music you listen to, or which books you read ? There is no harm in relaxing, but our choices in this area must also honor it. Similarly, we must carefully consider the time we devote to our hobbies. If they take an important place in our lives, there is a problem. It is not forbidden to have fun ; you just have to choose what is best for you and good for God.

Hidden things. This is the place where we hide all those things that we do not think we have any use for, but that we keep in case ... feelings like self-pity or grudge. Why not get rid of everything that displeases God ?

An action for today

Ask God to help you take away from your life anything that is not pleasing to him. Jesus is a divine host who dwells constantly in you - a host who loves you, understands you, sees you and hears you. He wants to do one with you ... to be at the center of all your activities. But ultimately, the choice is yours. Do you want him to feel comfortable in every room of your heart ?

Joyce Meyer

Source (The Thought of the Day)