Untamed Heart
“…for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord”
The heart of man is like an untamed colt. In order for the horse to be effective, it must first be tamed, or domesticated. In the same manner, the untamed heart is useless for a life that brings honor and glory to God.
A horse, especially if it is a champion racehorse, needs to go through a long process of training. First it must be domesticated in order to be mounted. When the horse is finally docile, he is saddled and fitted with reins. He will then be taught how to trot and gallop. Lastly he is trained on a racetrack with other horses and then, he is ready to compete.
The heart of a sinner cannot look for God because it is an untamed heart, full of sin. Only Christ can tame the heart of a sinner with the Word of God.
If the person receives Christ after hearing the Word, he is then a new creation, “docile and tamed” by God’s power. But that is not the end; it is just the beginning of the process of sanctification. God puts in us the “reins” of the Holy Spirit. He guides us as we take our first steps with God and towards God.
The objective of our spiritual training is to transform our untamed heart into a heart that seeks God. The process is long and sometimes painful. An untamed heart cannot be used by God.
At the end of the process the heart is ready to compete in the race of the Christian life. The “graduated” heart will be victorious because he will have the discipline, the energy and the courage to overcome.
