An Undivided Heart

'm currently reading through a book entitled "He Restores My Soul" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean. These are some of my reflections.

An Undivided Heart dives into the subject of Christianity being more than penance. It is the idea that Christ died so that we may be full of Him, it is about more than removing our sin, it is about living our lives out in a way that is Christ.

The book argues that the first step to take in this direction is to focus on the Lord. An undivided heart is a focused heart. It is a heart with one goal and purpose in mind: Christ. This one goal, Dean says, removes all the other goals in your heart. This goal is a single mindedness of the pursuit of Christ. In effect, to pursue Christ with all you are, you must empty yourself of everything other desire, mainly the desire to pursue your wishes. It is once again a metaphor of dying to self and living for Christ.

The next step to an undivided heart is steadfastness. When I first looked at the principle of a steadfast heart, I thought you needed to be steadfast in the face of philosophy and emotion. But now I think it speaks to a specific emotion, and that emotion is joy. A steadfast heart is ever joyful of the Lord, and it is always willing to worship God. A steadfast heart knows that the Lord is good even when our circumstances are bad. A person with a steadfast heart can confidently praise the Lord because their heart is a heart entrenched in joy. It is faithful to the belief that a life spent following God is a life well spent.

A steadfast heart reflects on the gift of grace it has received from Christ and in turn is fixed on thoughts above. A mind fixed on heavenly thoughts more easily pursues God. This fixation on heavenly things, leads to a peaceful existence on Earth. If a heart is undivided and focused on God, it knows that God is in control. This unwavering faith in the Lord and His goodness makes worry irrational. Why would one worry when the God of the universe who intimately knows them and loves them is acting in their life? An undivided heart knows this and from it flows peace.