Reflections on the Bible: Matters of the heart

I heard a story once about a man that loved watching football on TV. Every chance he got, he watched a game. It exasperated his wife.

“Don’t you know how that makes me feel?” she asked one day.

“What do you mean?” he replied, reaching for more popcorn.

“When you spend so much time watching football, it makes me feel like you like football more than you like me,” she said.

“I’m sorry, honey,” the man said. “But if it makes you feel any better, I like you more than I like figure skating!”

Hmmm.

How about you? What has your heart? Better yet, who has your heart?

In my own life, I find there are many things competing for ownership of my heart. Family, friends, sports and community service – all good things – can easily take first place in my life . . . if I let them.

But Christ wants to have first place in my life. He says so in 1 Peter 3:15, where He says, “Set apart the Lord God in your hearts.”

“Setting apart” means making God the most important thing in your life.

In Exodux 20:3, God says, "You shall have no other gods before Me."

We’re not to be like Pharisees, whom Jesus says “Honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)

When we set our hearts on Christ, He helps us do better in loving others; performing community service, and other important things.

But it begins with putting Christ first.

Where is He in your life?