How to Open Your Heart to Jesus: A Deeper Look at Commitment, Fear and Pride
Jesus is Knocking: Will You Open the Door?
Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, longing for us to open up and allow Him full access to every area of our lives. Yet, the choice to respond to His call for fellowship rests solely with us.
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
I want to unpack this verse further by highlighting three key points:
1. A Lukewarm Church
This verse comes from a letter written by the apostle John to the church of Laodicea, a church described by Jesus as being lukewarm—neither hot nor cold.
In other words, they were not fully committed. They had not surrendered their entire lives to Jesus, choosing instead to continue walking in the ways of the world. This verse is a call to believers, urging them into a deeper, more authentic fellowship with Christ.
2. An Invitation in the Present Tense
Notice that Jesus speaks in the present tense: "I stand at the door and knock." He doesn’t say, "I stood at the door and knocked." Jesus is expressing His ongoing desire for us, full of great love. He persistently and gently knocks, waiting for us to respond.
3. An Invitation to Intimacy
At the end of the verse, Jesus promises to come in and eat with the person who opens the door. In that culture, dining was the highest form of social connection. Jesus is essentially saying, “When you let Me into every area of your heart, we will have personal fellowship together.” This is His ultimate desire, for He died and was raised again to give us eternal life. Eternal life is not only heaven, but it is defined explicitly by Jesus in John 17:3 as "knowing God."
3 Reasons We Resist Opening Our Hearts to the Lord
Despite His invitation, many of us hesitate to open our hearts fully to Jesus. Here are three common reasons:
1. Commitment
Relationships require commitment and investment. To truly seek God, we must be diligent in seeking God first and making Him the center of our lives instead of limiting Him to church on Sunday's.
Jeremiah 29:13 tells us,
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Similarly, James 4:8 assures us,
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
God is faithful to reveal Himself to us when we seek Him. He continues to knock, but it is up to us to open the door. I have seen this to be the case in my own life. I heard God speak to me for the first time when I diligently began to pursue Him.
2. Fear
We are often afraid to be vulnerable with God. We see our flaws and shortcomings, and even though we believe God loves us, it can be hard to act upon that belief when it comes down to it. I believe that our fear often stems from a misunderstanding of God's character. He loves us unconditionally and His love never fails.
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear...”
All fear evaporates when our hearts are immersed in God’s perfect, unconditional love for us.
To alleviate any fear or doubt you may have of God, I encourage you to seek Him through prayer and His word. He is who He says He is; therefore, you are who He says you are.
3. Pride
Opening our hearts to the Lord requires surrender and submission. We are called to be in this world, but not of it. We cannot seek the things that the world prioritizes while also seeking God. There is a cost to following Jesus. Not everyone will like us and some may insult us for not following society's ever-changing trends. But if you do not fit in with the world, we are right where you need to be. We cannot serve two masters, either we will hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to the one and despise the other. We must be all in.
Jesus says in Luke 9:23-25,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”
Living with an eternal perspective helps us see that any rejection we face in this world for the sake of the gospel will be richly rewarded in heaven. We are here for a higher purpose than fitting in with society because the blood of Jesus has enabled us to experience the beauty of true abundant life with God.
Open Your Heart and Let Jesus In
I encourage you to let Jesus into every area of your heart. When you give Him your whole heart, He will make your heart whole. He will restore what is broken and will provide you with steadfast peace, radiant joy and unshakable hope.