Yes, Mom

At our house when either my husband or myself give our kids a direction, they are expected to reply in a certain way. We expect to hear, "Yes Mom/Dad," or "Yes Mommy/Daddy," depending on their age. Many times it goes something like this...

"Would you like to pick up your room now or in 5 minutes?" I ask.
"5 minutes"
5 minutes later...
"Its time to go pick up your room." I say
Sighing heavily and with great angst in his/her voice, "Yeesss Moooom"

Hmmmm...the reply was appropriate. I received the "Yes Mom," and the action was obedient--the room was picked up, but the heart is far from me. I want more than a clean room, I want my children's heart. I want them to understand and be in agreement that a clean room is a good thing.

How my kids react is often  how we react to God. He gives us choices, and we pick them. However, when it comes down to the obeying part, we often reply with a heavy sigh and with great angst. Our hearts are far from Him. We don't understand, we aren't like-minded with our Father. We may even be rebellious internally while we are obeying externally.

God wants our hearts. He wants a tender heart willing to joyfully follow Him and to do whatever He asks of us, even the hard stuff. Jesus is quoted by Matthew as saying, "I desire compassion and not sacrifice." Jesus is after a heart full of mercy and compassion. That mercy and compassion is extended to our actions. Hosea 6:6 says it this way, "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than sacrifice."

Jesus isn't after someone who keeps the traditional Christian values or regular church attendance. He is after a soul that longs for His presence. He is after a heart that worships Him above all. Isaiah details out a message from the LORD in the first chapter of his book. In this chapter, God tells His people that all our festivals and appointed feasts (traditions) have become a burden to Him. What He is after is a heart that is clean--that reflects His love in actions such as ceasing to do evil, seeking justice, defending the orphan, and pleading for the widow.

This stuff is hard. It requires compassion and mercy. It is a lot more time consuming than heading to a festival or a feast to meet an attendance quota.

May we be a people that love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. May our interior love for the Father be translated to the exterior. May we seek justice, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow. May we love with the unconditional love of the Father. May our hearts be soft and close to Him. May our obedience be heartfelt.