“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
My friend passed away last week, and this verse summarizes his life.
As a high school coach and teacher, he changed the world …He didn’t do it by demanding recognition, he did it by serving … Serving others naturally flowed out of the purity of his heart.
So, what does a pure heart look like? …What does purity mean? It means freedom from contamination.
Sometimes pureness is important …When my kids wanted to watch questionable movies, they would say something like, “it only has one bad scene”…and I would reply “So, there’s just a little dog poop in the cookies?”… Intending to point out that in some things…purity really matters.
So, if a bad scene can ruin a movie – what can ruin a heart?
It’s not just evil things that make our hearts impure. Hunger for money, reputation, power …are all things that Jesus called “weeds” that choke out good seed. Contamination occurs when we allow anything in our heart other than what it was created to hold…the pure love of God. My friend’s heart was so full of love for Jesus that there was no room for any other pursuit, and it showed.
Jesus came to earth bearing the title “King of Kings”…yet He picked up a towel and washed his disciples’ feet. My buddy did the same… He figuratively picked up a towel and washed feet every day. He served his students constantly - at school, games, functions… he and his wife even hosted dinner and bible study at their home regularly. Not because it was his job but because it was who he was.
And it wasn’t just students…He encouraged everyone he met. My guess is, he was the only MD Anderson Patient, who gave doctors Chick-fil-A cards at his appointments …He couldn’t help it …his heart insisted on it. His love for Christ splashed out on everyone he met.
Because his heart was pure, we could see God in him… and Saturday night he saw God face to face and heard “well done good and faithful servant.”
Pray that God will fill your heart with the love of Christ …because the pure in heart will see God… and the indicator of a pure heart is serving others.
“What will you do today, pick up your title, or pick up your towel?”
-Bruce Hayes
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