Acts 20:24 (English Standard Version)

 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

My advice yesterday was to take HIs pulse to see what He wants to do.

I’ve been thinking about my choice of words and it serves no one to be cryptic, but then again Jesuss spoke in parables with purpose. So this is as plain an answer as I can give.

As we grow in grace we will discover our calling in Christ. What to do in the here and now will be discovered in what Jesus has already called you to do in service. Talents, gifts, callings are all part of growing up in Christ, maturing, faithfulness and love.

We all know what is expected of us in general terms, forgiveness, fellowship, love, disciple, and dedication. None of those things are specific instructions as to what we are called to do each day.

Prayer answers the question “What are we doing today Lord?” Ask and listen.

This heart of flesh He has given us is motivational not directional. It takes a level of maturity to discover the difference.

Each of us are at different levels of maturity and none of us have risen to the level of the fullness of Christ yet. How to act and what to do in the here and now has been exemplified to us in the acts of our predecessors. The ones that have gone before us in the bible and in our lives.

The only thing we can do alone, where no one else but Jesus can help us, is being faithful.

We can lean on HIs Word and each other for help in all the other areas of our walk with Christ but when it comes to faithfulness, we are on our own. That will tell you more than I can say.

How is that going for you?

Ezekiel 36:26

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

We have been talking about this new heart and His abiding presence so it has come to me that the heart has a health indicator, its pulse. If we do not have a pulse, well, then, something is wrong, deadly wrong.

The English language is so flexible and we use it or abuse it to express images and impressions that go beyond original meanings, Used as a root word pulse can imply mental behaviors that goes beyond the intentions of the heart.

Impulse is one example. When one is impulsive we think of that person as not giving much thought to the consequences of their desires. They want and often obtain things on a whim.

Compulse is thought of differently, compulsive people are driven often by ideals, goals, the very thought of achieving a goal aligns every thought and action in support of achieving the goal.

If we are impulsive we might see ourselves as living for the moment, enjoying life to its fullest while we can. It is only when the consequences of our actions produce detrimental effects that we find ourselves regretting our choices. We learn lessons the hard way.

Compulsive people give little to no thought of deterrents, they are only roadblocks to be overcome, challenges to be met or pushed aside. What happens to others as a result of their actions are often discarded as easily as taking out the trash. Once gone, they do not even think about it.

So what does all that have to do with this new heart?

Once we give our hearts over to Jesus, what we care about becomes what He cares about. 

What does Jesus ask of us? Do we know? Maybe in general terms like love one another. But this new heart has a pulse that is neither impulsive or compulsive. It is a matter of taking His pulse.