Baptism of the Heart
and why we should do it over and over and over again
I listened to a pastor tell a story about a friend of his who would baptize himself every single year, and sometimes, multiple times a year. As this pastor told the story, he was chuckling that it would become so commonplace with this friend, that a few times, he and his wife called to invite his friend and his wife to hang out, and his friend’s wife would mockingly say, “We’d love to but Chris is baptizing himself again” with the implication that her husband’s necessary/unnecessary experience must come first before they could join them. Ultimately, the pastor wasn’t ridiculing his friend when he told this story. No, he was acknowledging his friend’s fervor for the symbolism he placed on the baptism experience.
To be washed clean. Reminded that you are forgiven and free. A new creation.
I don’t feel the need to baptize myself over and over again, but I do recognize the importance of the heart-work that needs to be done, over and over again -
a baptism of the heart, or as Paul called it, a circumcision of the heart.
“…and true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people” - Romans 2:29
There is a question I ask myself at the beginning of every year, and more often as necessary, when I feel an unsettling in my Spirit, and that is:
“What needs to DIE OFF so Christ can take up MORE space in my heart?”
I have discovered that many times the answer doesn’t come right away. I’ve learned to await a revealing from the Holy Spirit with what the answer is. Even when I feel closely connected and in step with the Lord, there’s always something that needs to die off that is sneakily taking up valuable real estate in my heart. Sometimes the answer surprises me. Sometimes, it’s something I didn’t realize needed to go.
Time to wash away the old, and make space for the new. Again.
And again. And again. And again. As often as needed. For as long as I walk this Earth…
“The most important thing in your life is not what you do, it’s who you become. That’s what you will take into eternity.” - Dallas Willard
I recently pulled up my old baptism video to watch again with my family. I decided to take some screenshots and do a little editing in Canva and made this beautiful black and white photomontage (above); a perfect visual reminder of washing away the old to make way for the new.
I’d like to pray for us.
Heavenly Father,
You are so good to us. You love us too much to allow us to keep living our lives with the same sin-patterns and ways that are unproductive for your Kingdom. Thank you that you have given us a perfect model of how we are to live our lives in your son, Jesus. Father, let this question of ‘what needs to die off’ be on our hearts now and as often as needed as we strive to become more like Christ. Lord, reveal to us all of the things that need to die off and convict us to move toward becoming better versions of ourselves. Father, sometimes the things you reveal are hard to accept, sometimes we don’t know how to change them or don’t realize they even need to be addressed. Help us to lean into you in our weaknesses there and to not lean on our understanding. We know life is brief here on Earth; remind us that we are preparing for Eternity and we want to start NOW.
I pray this all in your son’s Holy, matchless name, Jesus, Amen.
xo,
Kelly
For Reflection
“What needs to DIE OFF so Christ can take up MORE space in your heart?”
this is such a great reminder