As Christians we are called to live separately from the rest of the world. We are called to be in the world but not of the world, but what does that really mean? And how do we step into this way of living? Let me reassure you that you don’t need to figure this out all at once nor do you have to do this alone. Let me tell you how to let God align your heart and how He gently prepared my heart to change it’s posture towards the way I was living my life.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
I was not a believer and follower of Jesus from the beginning. Although I grew up learning Christian values and attending church for a little while as a child, in my teenage and young adult years I certainly was not living by those values. This meant that I was involving myself with people of poor influence at times, living for the weekends to party and drink too much, getting into unhealthy relationships and much more. For years I paid no attention to or even understood on a deep level the way that a Christian should really live. Judging by the way I was conducting myself you would never know that I had gone to church or learned anything about God. I was in the world. I was neck deep and I enjoyed it. Although I knew that God was always “there” I didn’t have a relationship with Him. I may have had times where I thought I should slow down on the drinking and partying lifestyle, but I never really had conviction. I couldn’t hear that inner nudge telling me to think twice.
In The World: How To Let God Align Your Heart
It was years later, as I was maturing into adult life that I really felt God gently aligning my heart to His. It wasn’t all at once. It was slow. One thing here and another there. First, maybe just a wrong attitude that I had about something. Then, a habit that I had formed. Smaller things that worked up to bigger things. One of these habits was the thing that made up a large part of my social life – drinking. Partying had taken up many of my weekends in high school and college and was following me out of college as well. It took a while, but eventually my desire to live this way became less and less. The Lord changed my heart so much that I had ended a serious relationship because it was not healthy. This change in heart posture didn’t happen over night. It was incremental and I still made mistakes along the way but over the years, what was once a fun thing to do is now a lifestyle I don’t desire any longer.
I was living in the world. Doing what was acceptable to society as a teen and young adult. Some call it “sewing your wild oats”. To an extent it is just considered a normal thing to do – a phase you go through. Some don’t ever come out of it. But if we look to the bible for direction, it tells us that drunkenness, for example, is actually an act of the flesh that will block us from receiving the fullness of the Lord’s promise.
Galatians 5:19–21 tells us “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” I don’t know about you but when I read that for the first time it was like a Holy Ghost slap in the face. I was participating in something that the bible clearly states will prevent me from inheriting the kingdom of God. And I was treating it like it was something fun to do. Another passage says “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18
Not Of The World: How To Let God Align Your Heart
Can you start to see a clear separation of what the world says is okay versus what God says is okay? When I was first starting out in my walk with the Lord I was confused and a bit annoyed at all of these “rules”. They were inconvenient for me to follow because I thought it meant that it was hindering my fun. As I matured in my understanding of the Word and by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart, I later understood that these are boundaries that are made to protect me. After I had thought about it, I realized, “When had getting drunk ever benefited me?” and “Did anything good ever come out of a night of partying?”. I fell short of good answers. Usually, the days following a wild weekend included shame, guilt, sickness and sometimes even loss of memory of parts of the night. I began to see how living this way could actually leave me vulnerable to harm. Not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. I didn’t want this to become something that I could not shake. I was being transformed by the renewing of my mind in reading and taking in God’s Word. This is seen in Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
I made mistakes along the way but as the Lord aligned my heart with His, I began diving deeper into our relationship. I bought my first bible. I began reading the Word (not regularly at first but it was a start). I started listening to sermons and I started attending church. I began to journal my thoughts more often and I prayed a lot. These actions didn’t all come to me naturally or all at once. They snowballed one after another and eventually started feeling more natural. I even started to develop a desire to do them. This took time, but it eventually started to change the way I was acting and living.
I believe that this is how we start taking the steps toward change. It’s not a race. The Lord is gentle with our hearts. If we don’t know how He will show us if we allow Him to. If we give Him permission to search our heart. Allow God to align your heart. Once we are convicted in our hearts, we then need to take the steps to change that behavior. Ephesians 4:22-24 describes this well. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Renew Your Mind
Sometimes that is a process of trial and error but if our intent is to honor the Lord through that process then I believe that He will walk us through it. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and help you through. I know that in my journey, I felt convicted to end relationships, let go of friendships and sometimes even remove myself from situations that could lead me into circumstances where I would be tempted to join in on the party. I had to not make myself available to certain friends and not commit to going to certain outings. I didn’t always do it right but I knew that I was being called to set myself apart from the world with this and I wanted to honor God. This is still something that I occasionally have to do today. It is a conscious choice to consecrate yourself. And at times it isn’t always easy or comfortable.
There will always be people who don’t get it. But above all else, I want to honor the Lord with the way that I live my life. It doesn’t matter what other people think. Pleasing the Lord is my priority. He’s the one that I will see at the end of my days. Not the people who question my lifestyle choice.
Overview: How To Let God Align Your Heart
My hope is that if you are struggling with something like this, you will seek the Lord too. You don’t have to have it all figured out and it isn’t always a smooth transition but that’s okay. There may be temporary and fleshly enjoyment from living in the world, but there is much more enjoyment in knowing that we are not of this world. We have been set apart and anointed among the nations. There is freedom and honor in the choice to live holy. Let God align your heart and receive that today.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, I lift up anyone who is struggling with an unhealthy habit, lifestyle, their walk with you. Anything that might be preventing them from developing a deep connection with you and preventing them from receiving the fullness of your blessing. I ask that you would speak to their heart, Lord, and make your love known to them. Allow their heart to receive your Word and the direction of the Holy Spirit and show them how to take off their old self. Their old habits, beliefs, behaviors, and put on their new self that is renewed by you. Lord, please order their steps and be with them in this process. We thank you, Father, that you correct us with a gentle touch and you align our hearts to face you so that we can live in deep relationship with you. We thank you that you replace fleshly desires with the desire to please you and live holy because you are holy. We praise your mighty name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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