Circumcised Heart

"Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." -Deuteronomy 30.6

Israel prized circumcision because it was a mark that set them apart from the rest of the world as God's people. But God does not desire an outward sign that simply marks people as His, He wants them to be inwardly transformed so that they become His. God did not just want the men of Israel to be outwardly circumcised when they turned eight days old; He wanted to circumcise their hearts so that they would love Him wholly and live.

God does not desire outward acts and words that may not come from a genuine heart. He desires people who are transformed by Him, and live passionately for Him. God does not want people outwardly set apart for Him in the eyes of society, but those who are inwardly transformed by Him. An outward mark is nothing compared to an inward transformation. It is important to note that an inward transformation will manifest itself in outward action.

No idea why I'm writing with that language.

Men, is your faith genuine or cultural? Has your heart been circumcised by God, or are you just going through the motions? The motions will fool a lot of people. I've met many motion people in the last decade that upfront seem genuine, but there is nothing behind it, and eventually their true self is revealed.

John Eldredge says that the biggest fear a man has is being found out as a fraud. Men do whatever they can to keep that truth hidden. They put up fronts of confidence, try to control all they can, and appear to the world as self-made men. But all of it is an act, and eventually it will all come crashing down.

The answer for men is initiation by God. It means a journey into masculinity that results in genuine strength. That journey begins with a circumcised heart.

Let us be men who are inwardly transformed by God. Let us allow Him to circumcise our hearts and initiate us. May we learn to live from genuine strength and love God with all we are.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor