"A Good Heart"

"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." (Ecclesiastes 9:7 KJV) 

  "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." (Acts 2:46-47 NLT)

 Something to think about, if you are looking for ways to express these gifts the Lord has given us, we must be willing to open up and express the good heart that we have been given! Really, that's the only way we can make it all real and know the changed heart is within us, by putting it to work and making it come alive, by doing good works for the Lord.

 We need to get past the point of thinking that works do not matter, because we have no reason to be selfish, thinking that our works are just filthy rags; they are filthy rags only when we are doing them in order to try and gain something from God by doing them. 

 James, the half-brother of Jesus, knew what it was like to properly serve the Lord, because it wasn't about what we gained that mattered, it was what we gave away that mattered most. Jesus has given us such riches, beyond measure; more than we could ever use up in a single lifetime; we just need to put them to use; the more we use them, the greater they grow and multiply.

 We are not talking about money, because money can't buy what the Lord is selling; He gives us gifts freely and with only one requirement: that we use them to further His Kingdom! Some only have little, and some have much; but each have the portion they need to do a little or a lot. 

 It might not make a whole lot of sense, but if you have a good heart, your works will not be rejected...

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" - but then you don't give that person and food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:14-17 NLT)