My husband Philip and I were having a discussion about a new interest I have. He stated, “if you are going to do this, you may as well do it wholeheartedly”.
That is his approach to life and one of the things I appreciate and love about him. When he undertakes or pursues something he does it with his whole heart.
The definition of wholehearted is: completely and sincerely, devoted, determined, or enthusiastic; free from all reserve and hesitation.
Doing something wholeheartedly implies concentration, completeness, and with constancy.
There is a guy named Caleb who is recorded in the bible as wholly following after God. In a time where many who believed in God were content to simply follow half heartedly, Caleb followed God wholeheartedly.
“The bible says that Caleb stood out, and God noticed him when He said, “because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” (Numbers 14:24)
That doesn’t mean Caleb didn’t work, have hobbies or pay attention to his family and friends. It just meant his allegiance was to God, and he lived his life through that frame of reference. He understood that to follow God meant to follow him utterly, absolutely, with His whole heart and soul, without any reservation. When we are wholehearted it means it will be obvious in all that we do, in all that we say, wherever we are, and under every circumstance.
Many people can be wholehearted intermittently; one day they are “all in” and the next they are only half-hearted. I’ve discovered it is really our approach to life. If we choose and give ourselves to live wholeheartedly in one area of our life, it will eventually flow over to the other parts of our life. Being wholehearted becomes a life style and who we are.
Unfortunately we can all struggle to be consistent and wholly devoted to God, our other relationships, and even to the things we think we really want to do and are interested in. We get tired, worn down, disappointed and sometimes just plain lazy and complacent.
But Caleb’s story reveals a key to wholly following after God, and living in a way in which our constancy, enthusiasm and wholeheartedness flows into every area of our life.
It is found in the realization that we cannot wholly do anything for our entire life in our own strength. Caleb wholeheartedly followed the Lord because he had a different spirit within him. (Numbers 14:24). It’s the same strength and power that Jesus spoke about.
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”(John 14:16-17)
A key to living wholeheartedly is that we don’t have to do it all in ourselves, but with the Holy Spirit; God Himself dwelling within us. He strengthens, He empowers, He causes consistency and determination to rise up on the inside of us. Then we will be able to do as Caleb and many others like him have done. We can live fully, with concentration, constancy, determination and wholeheartedness.
Today, ask Holy Spirit to fill you with His strength, and power. All things become possible when we live like that, and we no longer do anything, go anywhere, or face anything, or anyone alone.
Prayer: Holy Spirit would you fill me with your power, so that I am able to live wholeheartedly in every thing I believe and do. In Jesus Name Amen.
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