SINGLE-MINDEDNESS AND ITS FRUIT

Matthew 5:8 (ESV) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Looking back, the times in my life where my heart has been wide open to feeling God’s presence generally has fallen into two categories: one during moments of worship and the other during times of great personal difficulty when my prayer life has been most robust, pouring my heart out to Him.  Considering this causes introspection and makes me question what fruits I’m exhibiting when I’m outside of those two types of events occurring.  

In Matthew 12:33-34 (ESV) Jesus says, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and ifs fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.  You brood of vipers!  How can you speak good, when you are evil?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  I’m certain that during those outlying times, I have not been single-minded in my relationship with Christ even though I know that still, the Holy Spirit is living within.

It’s always been easy to be double-minded in this world, to have a heart divided between the world and God.  Centuries ago, James addressed it in his eponymous book in chapter 4, verse 8 (ESV) Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.   

While Jesus was using money as his focus in talking about laying up treasures in heaven in Matthew 6:24 (ESV), the passage also applies to other worldly temptations as well when he said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”  

If you want to be pure in heart, pursue God with single-mindedness.  The Holy Spirit within us as Christ-followers yearns to exhibit the fruits noted in Galatians 5:22-23 but is held in check when we are double-minded, trying to serve both the world and God.  

Good fruit comes from a pure heart, one that is wide open to seeing God.