Out of the Heart

I cannot ever get very far from talking about either intimacy and/or discipleship in these posts because I see so little evidence of these in the western church. I am not alone in this, of course, and I "discovered" some new allies this past week (who have been saying this much longer than I). So here's a review of yet another book!

It all started when at J.P. Moreland's suggestion in Kingdom Triangle I ordered (I thought!) Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard (J.P. says this is the one book above all others he would recommend). I popped on Amazon and clicked what I thought was the book and checked out. But when my order arrived I discovered that I had clicked on the wrong link. There in the Amazon box was a book entitled Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. I was not pleased but didn't send the book back since it at least contained portions of what I had wanted :-)

So I set the book aside...until last Friday. During my Papa time I sensed Him nudging me to read this little paperback--the whole thing--on that very day. After a brief argument about all I needed to do, I complied. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I did. This book now moves to my "highly recommended" list. It confirmed a great deal of what I am sensing and saying and challenged me as well about issues of the heart. The book takes "bite-sized" portions of Dr. Willard's book and adds a brief reflection and exercise that helps the reader apply what is being said. It really works well, at least it has for me.

As you may know, Dallas Willard contends (rightly) that everything begins with the heart (hence the title, eh?). Consider now with me, both comments by him and Jan Johnson and see if you catch "the heart" of what they are saying. (from Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Jan Johnson and Dallas Willard. Copyright 2006, all rights reserved. www.navpress.com. Used by permission.)

Our lives are a result of what we have become in the depths of our being -- what we call our spirit, will or heart. From there we see our world and interpret reality. From there we make choices, break forth into action, and try to change our world. That is why the greatest need of collective humanity is the renovation of our heart....

Spiritual formation for the Christian refers to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self so that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself. To the degree in which spiritual formation in Christ is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural outflow of the character and teachings of Jesus. Christian spiritual formation is focused entirely on Jesus. Its goal is conformity to Christ that arises out of an inner transformation accomplished through purposeful interaction with the grace of God in Christ. Obedience is an essential outcome of Christian spiritual formation (see John 13:34-35; 14:21). (part of Dallas Willard's words in Chapter 3, "Change Me on the Inside," page 15).

Jan Johnson then writes the following wonderfully practical (and piercing) reflection.

When we say phrases such as, "He caught me off guard," or, "That bad word just slipped out," we refer to the truth that our outer actions aren't accidental -- they mirror our character within. When regrettable words "slip out," we didn't have time to dress up what was in our heart before it came tumbling out of our mouth. Unsavory thoughts leak out in objectionable words and behavior. Such "slips" reveal publicly the private inner workings of our heart. Jesus explained that "out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45, NIV).

Our task, then, is to cooperate with God and being changed on the inside so that we take on the personality of Christ. As we let what is stored in our heart be transformed, we behave as Jesus would behave.

If our insides are renovated, what comes out of us will bring about peace and righteousness. We won't have to try to love. Unloving thoughts and actions simply won't occur to us, just as loving ones will begin to spring up without our awareness. We will smile at an enemy automatically. It won't occur to us to argue. Instead, will pray inwardly for the disagreeable person in front of us. To cooperate with public greed or dishonesty will offend us to the core, and we will find ourselves unable to do it. (page 16)

There is much more treasure in this book, some of which I may share in later posts. But for now, if you do well at learning through reading and especially if you haven't read much of Dallas Willard, I recommend getting this book.

I welcome your thoughts.

Tom, one of Abba's children