Callouses (Acts 28:25-27) – Running After Papa

²⁵They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶ “ ‘Go to this people and say,

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

²⁷ For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Ac 28:25-27). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

I’ve been there – that place with a calloused heart – and I don’t EVER want to go back!

How many people, who call themselves Christians, do just this? They hear with their ears and see with their eyes but it never gets through to their heart? There is never understanding. It has led to a “consumer” mentality among Christians in our churches. People come to church to be entertained, to see the “show”.

Our church has amazing worship. It is executed with a very high degree of excellence. This is a double-edged sword. To the consumer-minded church-goer it is a VERY good “show”. To the pursurer of God’s heart, it is a wonderful time of entering God’s presence in corporate worship.

The difference between the first half of 27 and the last half of 27 is a calloused heart.

A callus is an area of thick skin. Calluses form at points where there is a lot of repeated pressure for a long period of time – such as the hours spent raking leaves. The skin hardens from the pressure over time and eventually thickens, forming a hard tough grayish or yellowish surface that may feel bumpy.
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/skin/blisters.html

I play the guitar and on the ends of the fingers of my left hand are callouses. They are yellowish and hard. They have less feeling in them as the are basically compacted dead skin. There is no nerve endings in them. They are dulled and insensitive to feeling. This is a good thing, in this case, as the bigger the callouses get, the longer I can play the guitar pain free.

When God says the heart has become calloused, how did it get that way? Disobedience. The “rub” on the same place in our heart that becomes calloused is our saying “NO” to Father, whether He is trying to grow us (Transformation) or He is trying to convict us (Repentance).

God wants us to be continually transformed while we are inhabiting this earth. He will prompt us to do things that will stretch and grow us… usually these are out of our comfort zone. James 4:17 “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” Ouch! This then takes us directly to the next area where callouses form. Repentance. When Father reveals those places in our lives that are in sin, he convicts us. The longer we don’t respond, usually out of fear or pride, the easier it is to “live with” that sin in our life. Father wants us to be free of all the crap in our hearts.

Papa,
While I love my callouses on my finger tips, I don’t ever want to develop callouses on my heart from disobeying you. My prayer is that I would be quick to respond to You, whatever you call me to; be it areas of transformation and growth or be it areas of repentance in my life. I don’t want my heart to be dulled and insensitive as my fingertips are.

Running After Papa…