Whole-Heartedness
Iixprrience teaches us that, if any one is engaged in a work in which he is not whole-hearted, he will seldom succeed. Just think of a student, or — his teacher, a man of business, or a warrior. He who does not give himself whole-heartedly to his — calling is not likely to succeed. And that is still more true of religion, and above all of the high and holy task of intercourse in prayer with a holy God, and of being always well pleasing to Him. It is because of this that God has said so impressively: ‘Ye shall seek Me and find Me, wHEN YE SHALL SEARCH FOR Mk WITH ALL YOUR HEART’’ (Jer, 29: 13).
As also more than one of God’s servants has said: ‘‘IT seek Thee with my whole heart.’’ Have you ever thought how many Christians there are of whom it is all too plain that they do not seek God with the whole heart? When they were in trouble over their sins, they seemed to seek God with the whole heart. But when they knew that they had been pardoned — one could see by their lives that they were religious, it is true — but no one would think: ‘‘This man has surrendered himself with his whole heart to follow God, and to serve Him as the supreme work of his life.’’
How is it with you? What does your heart say? While you, as minister for instance, have given yourself up with whole-hearted devotion to fulfil your office faithfully and zealously, will you not perhaps acknowledge: ‘‘I fear, or rather I am convinced that my unsatisfactory prayer-life is to be attributed to nothing else than that I have not lived with a whole-hearted surrender of all on earth that could hinder me in fellowship with God.’’ What a deeply important question to consider in the Inner Chamber, and to give the answer to God! How important to arrive at a plain answer, and to utter it all before God! Prayerlessness cannot be overcome as an isolated thing. It is in the closest relationship to the state of the heart. True prayer depends on an undivided heart.
But I cannot give myself that undivided heart which can enable me to say: ‘‘I seek God wirH my WHOLE HEART.’’ No, that is impossible for you, but God will do it. ‘‘I will give them a heart to fear me.’’ ‘‘I will write my law (as a power of life) in their heart.’’ Such promises serve to awaken desire. However weak the desire may be, if there is but the sincere determination to strive after what God holds out to us, then He will Himself work in our hearts, both to will and to do. It is the great work of the Holy Spirit in us to make us willing, and to enable us to seek God with the whole heart. May there but be found in us confusion of face because while we have given ourselves to so many earthly things with all our heart and strength, yet if anything is said about fellowship with our glorious God, it so little affects us that we have not sought Him with the whole heart.