"The greatest journey you will ever take is the 18 Inch Journey from your head to your heart."
That's so true. You are not what you think in your head; you are what you believe in your heart. Your brain is not who you are. Your heart is who you are.
Proverbs 23:7 tells us that "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."
Romans 10:9-10 tells us that "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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So many people I know have an incredible theoretical or even theological understanding of God, but God makes it clear that He looks at the Heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Even the demons have a theological knowledge of God (James 2:19). How does that affect your heart and your actions?
In Mark 12:30, Jesus tells us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:37, Deuteronomy 6:5, all say it a little differently, but in everyone the heart comes first, the soul comes second, and the mind and strength follow. Our relationship with God NEEDS to start with the heart. The inward heart change will change the emotions and beliefs (the soul), and as the soul changes, the transformation by the renewing of the mind will begin to occur (super)naturally. Our behavior (strength) follows the transformation of the mind. SO often, I meet people who try to fix their behavior. It doesn't work, so they begin trying to fix their thinking. Eventually your whole relationship with God is based on trying to fix yourself, ignoring grace! We have it SOOOOOOOOO backwards! IT STARTS WITH THE HEART! Holy Spirit changes us. Our attempts at behavior modification and mind transformation usually just function to inhibit real spiritual growth.
How do people grow up in church knowing all the right verses and then leave or fall away? Is it God's fault? Is He not real enough? NO! The church has shrinked back from the heart. Faith has become a knowledge thing. Knowledge of God is incredibly important, but relationship defines salvation, and relationship happens in the heart. We need encounter with God.
For me, the World Race is going to be an exciting part of that journey, but I know that ultimately, the Race is about a year of my life. The journey to my heart is one I never have to leave. I can arrive, and in many ways, I see how I have begun to settle in and unpack and start my new life there (in my heart), but the journey never has to come to an end.
If this sparks something in your spirit, if you know you need to begin making that journey, I enourage you to check out The 18 Inch Journey with Jonathan & Melissa Helser. Their understanding of the heart of God has changed my life. The creative and musical gifts that they bring to their worship is an incredible blessing to the Body of Christ. They are based out of North Carolina and their summer internship has changed the lives of many people, some of whom I know and have seen transformed. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind by the surrender of your heart.
I love you!
Caleb
