The Status of Hearts

On Facebook you can look for someone's relationship status by looking in their profile for the heart followed by a description: "In a Relationship,"  "Married," "Single," "It's Complicated."

I wish that people's spiritual hearts came with the same forthrightness.  Maybe following them around could be a little notice that tells you: "Sold out for the Lord," "Not even close to interested," "Confused," "Wounded," or "It's Complicated."  I suppose most of us would be carrying that last one around quite often if we're honest.

But instead, as a Christian and a missionary, I am asked to take up the delicate task of reading hearts with no obvious tag lines.  I must be able to read people well enough to know when they are spiritually open, press them when they are needing to be challenged, and nurture them when they are spiritually needy.  I am not responsible for the status of their hearts, but I am responsible for offering Christ in ways that reflect their individual needs.  It can be a little daunting at times.

But, praise God that He does not make us carry out this task without His very own divine intervention.  It is the Lord who changes the status of hearts.  There really is nothing more exciting than watching someone's heart begin to soften before the Lord and nothing more humbling than being able to participate in the process. 

Right now at World Impact we are in a season where people are experiencing a collective spiritual hunger in a way that none of us have previously experienced.  We are seeing young men, who have been participants of World Impact programs for years, open their hearts to the Lord and other men and women who are genuinely asking questions.  Some of the statuses of their hearts have changed from "I don't care" to "I want something more"  and a few have newly taken up "I follow Christ."

God is moving in unexpected ways as we pray specifically for those that God has brought to us.  We are nonplussed at the strides some individuals are taking, while still burdened for those whose hearts are so hard.  Please continue to pray for us and for the status of hearts in our neighborhood.  Pray that God continue to swell the hearts and minds of individuals with a yearning to know Him and pray that we, as missionaries, can be discerning enough to see how God is prompting each one.