One evening that I shall never forget, I invited him into my heart. What an
entrance he made! It was not a spectacular emotional thing, but very real. It was
at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned
on the light. He built a fire in the cold hearth and banished the chill. He started
music where there had been stillness and he filled the emptiness with his own
wonderful loving fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ
and I never will– not into eternity!
This, of course, is the first step in making the heart Christ’s home. He has said,
“Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).
If you are interested in making your life an abode of the living God, let me
encourage you to invite Christ into your heart and he will surely come.
After Christ entered my heart and in the joy of that new-found relationship, I
said to him, “Lord, I want this heart of mine to be yours. I want to have you
settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to you.
Let me show you around and introduce you to the various features of the home
that you may be more comfortable and that we may have fuller fellowship
together.” He was very glad to come, of course, and happier still to be given a
place in the heart.
THE LIBRARY
The first room was the study — the library. Let us call it the study of the mind.
Now in my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick
walls. But it is an important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the
house. He entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the
magazines upon the table, the pictures on the wall. As I followed his gaze I
became uncomfortable. Strangely enough, I had not felt badly about this before,
but now that he was there looking at these things I was embarrassed. There
were some books there that his eyes were too pure to behold. There was a lot of
trash and literature on the table that a Christian had no business reading and as
for the pictures on the wall — the imaginations and thoughts of the mind– these
were shameful.
I turned to him and said, “Master, I know that this room needs a radical
alteration. Will you help me make it what it ought to be– to bring every thought
into captivity to you?”
“Surely!” he said. “Gladly will I help you. That is one reason I am here. First of
all, take all the things that you are reading and seeing which are not helpful,
pure, good and true, and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the
books of the Bible. Fill the library with scriptures and meditate on them day and
night. As for the pictures on the wall, you will have difficulty controlling these
images, but here is an aid.” He gave me a full sized picture of himself. “Hang
this centrally,” he said, “on the wall of the mind.” I did and I have discovered
through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ himself, his
purity and power cause impure imaginations to retreat. So he has helped me to
bring my thoughts into captivity.
May I suggest to you if you have difficulty in this little room of the mind, that
you bring Christ in there. Pack it full with the Word of God, meditate upon it
and keep before it ever the immediate presence of the Lord Jesus.
THE DINING ROOM
From the study we went to the dining room, the room of appetites and desires.
Now this was a very large room. I spent a good deal of time in the dining room
and much effort in satisfying my wants.
I said to him, “This is a very commodious room and I am quite sure you will be
pleased with what we serve here.”
He seated himself at the table with me and asked, “What is on the menu for
dinner?”
“Well,” I said, “my favorite dishes: old bones, corn husks, sour cabbage, leeks,
onions and garlic right out of Egypt.” There were the things I liked — worldly
fare. I suppose there was nothing radically wrong in any particular item, but it
was not the food that should satisfy the life of a real Christian. When the food
was placed before him, he said nothing about it. However, I observed that he
did not eat it, and I said to him, somewhat disturbed, “Savior, you don’t care for
the food that is placed before you? What is the trouble?”
He answered, “I have meat to eat that you know not of. My meat is to do the
will of him that sent me.” He looked at me again and said, “if you want food
that really satisfies you, seek the will of the Father, not your own pleasures, not
your own desires, not your own satisfaction. Seek to please me, and that food
will satisfy you.” And there about the table he gave me a taste of doing God’s
will. What a flavor! There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies.
Everything else is dissatisfying in the end.
Now if Christ is in your heart, and I trust he is, what kind of food are you
serving him and what kind of food are you eating yourself? Are you living for
the lust of the flesh and the pride of life– selfishly? Or are you choosing God’s
will for your meat and drink?
THE DRAWING ROOM
We walked next into the drawing room. This room was rather intimate and
comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a bookcase, sofa
and a quiet atmosphere.
He also seemed pleased with it. He said, “This is indeed a delightful room. Let
us come here often. It is secluded and quiet and we can have fellowship
together.”
Well, naturally, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I could not think of
anything I would rather do than have a few minutes apart with Christ in
intimate comradeship.
He promised, “I will be here every morning early. Meet with me here and we
will start the day together.” So, morning after morning, I would come
downstairs to the drawing room and he would take a book of the Bible from the
bookcase. He would open it and then we would read together. He would tell me
of its riches and unfold to me its truth. He would make my heart warm as he
revealed his love and grace towards me. They were wonderful hours together.
In fact, we called the dining room the “withdrawing room.” It was a period
when we had our quiet time together.
But little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began
to be shortened. Why, I don’t know, but I thought I was just too busy to spend
time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand; it just happened that
way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss a day now
and then. It was examination time at the university. Then it was some other
urgent emergency. I would miss it two days in a row and often more.
I remember one morning when I was in a hurry, rushing down the steps, eager
to be on my way.
As I passed the drawing room, the door was ajar. Looking in I saw a fire in the
fireplace and the Lord sitting there. Suddenly in dismay, I thought to myself,
“He was my guest. I had invited him into my heart! He had come as Lord of my
home. And yet here I am neglecting him.” I turned and went in. With downcast
glance I said, “Blessed Master, forgive me. Have you been here all these
mornings?”
“Yes,” he said, “I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you.”
Then I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my
faithlessness. I asked his forgiveness and he readily forgave me as he does
when we are truly penitent.
He said, “The trouble with you is this: You have been thinking of the quiet
time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual
progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to me also.
Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at a great cost. I desire your
fellowship. Now,” he said, “do not neglect this hour if only for my sake.
Whatever else may be your desire, remember I want your fellowship!”
You know, the truth that Christ wants my fellowship, that he loves me, wants
me to be with him, wants to be with me and waits for me, has done more to
transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don’t let Christ
wait alone in the drawing room of your heart, but every day find some time
when, with the Word of God and in prayer, you may fellowship with him.
THE WORKSHOP
Before long he asked, “Do you have a workshop in your home?” Down in the
basement of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but
I was not doing much with it. Once in a while I would go down and fuss around
with a few little gadgets, but I wasn’t producing anything worthwhile.
I led him down there.
He looked over the workbench and what little talents and skills I had. He said,
“This is quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the
Kingdom of God?” He looked at one or two of the little toys that I had thrown
together on the bench and he held one up to me. “Are these little toys all that
you are producing in your Christian life?”
“Well,” I said, “Lord, that is the best I can do. I know it isn’t much and I really
want to do more, but after all, I have no skill or strength.”
“Would you like to do better?” he asked.
“Certainly,” I replied.
“All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit work
through you. I know you are unskilled and clumsy and awkward, but the Spirit
is the Master-worker and if he controls your hands and your heart he will work
through you.” And so, stepping around behind me and putting his great, strong
hands over mine, controlling the tools with his skillful fingers, he began to
work through me.
There’s much more that I must still learn and I am very far from satisfied with
the product that is being turned out, but I do know that whatever has been
produced for God has been through his strong hand and through the power of
his Spirit in me.
Do not become discouraged because you cannot do much for God. Your ability
is not the fundamental condition. It is he who is controlling your fingers and
upon whom you are relying. Give your talents and gifts to God and he will do
things with them that will surprise you.
THE RUMPUS ROOM
I remember the time he inquired about the playroom. I was hoping he would not
ask me about that. There were certain associations and friendships, activities
and amusements that I wanted to keep for myself. I did not think Christ would
enjoy them or approve of them so I evaded the question.
But there came an evening when I was leaving to join some companions — I
was in college at the time — and as I was about to cross the threshold, he
stopped me with a glance. “Are you going out?”
I answered, “Yes.”
“Good,” he said, “I would like to go with you.”
“Oh,” I replied rather awkwardly. “I don’t think, Lord, that you would really
want to go with us. Let’s go out tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go to
prayer meeting, but tonight I have another appointment.”
He said, “That’s all right. Only I thought when I came into your home we were
going to do everything together. We were going to be partners. I want you to
know that I am willing to go with you.”
“Well,” I said, “we will go some place together tomorrow night.”
But that evening I spent some miserable hours. I felt wretched. What kind of
friend was I to Christ, when I was deliberately leaving him out of my
associations, doing things and going places that I knew very well he would not
enjoy? When I returned that evening, there was a light in his room and I went
up to talk it over with him. I said, “Lord, I have learned my lesson. I cannot
have a good time without you. We will do everything together from now on.”
Then we went down into the rumpus room of the house and he transformed it.
He brought into life real joy, real happiness, real satisfaction, real friendship.
Laughter and music have been ringing in the house ever since.
THE HALL CLOSET
There is just one more matter that I might share with you. One day I found him
waiting for me at the door. There was an arresting look in his eye. He said to
me as I entered, “There is a peculiar odor in the house. There is something dead
around here. It’s upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet.” As soon as he said the
words, I knew what he was talking about. Yes, there was a small hall closet
behind lock and key I had one or two little personal things that I did not want
anybody to know about and certainly I did not want Christ to see. I knew they
were dead and rotting things. And yet I loved them, and I wanted them so for
myself that I was afraid to admit they were there. I went up the stairs with him
and as we mounted, the odor became stronger and stronger. He pointed at the
door and said, “It’s in there! Some dead thing!”
I was angry. That’s the only way I can put it. I had given him access to the
library, the dining room, the drawing room, the workshop, the rumpus room,
and now he was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said inwardly,
“This is too much. I am not going to give him the key.”
“Well,” he said, reading my thoughts, “if you think I am going to stay up here
on the second floor with this odor, you are mistaken. I will take my bed out on
the back porch. I’m certainly not going to put up with that.” And I saw him start
down the stairs.
When you have come to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen
to you is to sense his fellowship retreating from you. I had to surrender. “I’ll
give you the key,” I said sadly, “but you’ll have to open the closet. You’ll have
to clean it out. I haven’t the strength to do it.”
“I know,” he said. “I know you haven’t. Just give me the key. Just authorize me
to take care of that closet and I will.” So, with trembling fingers I passed the
key over to him. He took it from my hand, walked over to the door, opened it,
entered it, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there and threw it
away. Then he cleansed the closet, painted it, fixed it up, doing it all in a
moment’s time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my
life!
TRANSFERRING THE TITLE
Then a thought came to me. I said to myself, “I have been trying to keep this
heart of mine clear for Christ. I start on one room and no sooner have I cleaned
that then another room is dirty. I begin on the second room and the first room
becomes dusty again. I am so tired and weary trying to maintain a clean heart
and an obedient life. I just am not up to it!” So I ventured a question: “Lord, is
there any chance that you would take over the responsibility of the whole house
and operate it for me and with me just as you did that closet? Would you take
the responsibility to keep my heart what it ought to be and my life where it
ought to be?”
I could see his face lighten up as he replied, “Certainly, that is what I came to
do. You can not be a victorious Christian in your own strength. That is
impossible. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way. But,” he
added slowly, “I am not owner of this house. I am just a guest. I have no
authority to proceed since the property is not mine.”
I saw it in a minute and dropping to my knees, I said, “Lord, you have been a
guest, and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You
are going to be the Lord.” Running as fast as I could to the strong box, I took
out the title deed to the house describing its assets and liabilities, its situation
and condition. Then returning to him, I eagerly signed it over to belong to him
alone for time and eternity. “Here,” I said, “here it is, all that I am and have
forever. Now you run the house. I’ll just remain with you as houseboy and
friend.”
He took my life that day and I can give you my word, there is no better way to
live the Christian life. He knows how to keep it in shape and deep peace settles
down on the soul. May Christ settle down and be at home in your heart as Lord
of all.
By Robert Munger
(C) Copyright 1954 Inter-Varsity C.F.
