Is It In You?

Is it in you? This phase instinctively creates a picture in my mind of an athlete sweating profusely while drinking Gatorade. Shrewd marketers make a direct attempt to persuade us all to believe that what is in us (a sport drink) will determine what comes out of us (our performance).

There may be some truth to that.

Now, I’m not pushing energy drinks, rather I am posing the question to you and to me—what is in our hearts? To what have we allowed an open door into our lives? Because whatever is in us, will eventually come out.

This past year, the Lord challenged me to examine my own heart more deeply, and ask, why do I do what I do? Why do I choose to follow Jesus? Why am I so easily discouraged by failure? What have I poured into my life that informs my choices?

Allowing the Holy Spirit entrance to our hearts—through the Word and through His presence—transforms us. Every action and reaction, whether in practice or a game, exposes our passions, our struggles and our joys. What is in us and what comes out, ultimately reveals the reality of our faith and what we believe about God.

What is it that is in you?

I pray it is a life-altering relationship with Jesus Christ. For His Spirit, alive in us, will enable us to do the right thing even when the right thing isn’t happening to us. He will empower us to love those who don’t love us back. And He will embolden us to be more like Jesus—who, when persecuted, betrayed and falsely accused, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

May we keep producing good things from the treasury of a good heart.