If faithfulness is a tending of the heart, how can we make sure our hearts are tending toward God?

Draft definition of "tending"

"Tending" is continuous, self-correcting movement of the whole self of one person toward the whole self of another and for the other's good.

Related post: FAITHFULNESS--AN ELECTRONICS METAPHOR
Related metaphor: Phase-locked loop


1 Kings 8:54-61
Joshua 24:19-28
1 John 1:5-10

• God expects consistent tending.
• God makes a way for us to return to consistency when we fail.

Three feedback sources help our tending.

1. Our decision to follow Christ
2. Our faith community
3. The Holy Spirit

Sources one and two are subject to much noise; therefore, we must be intentional. The Collegium has decided to investigate John Wesley's "Holy Club Questions" as one way to be intentional.

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Related definitions (see "faithfulness" definition)

"Consistent"

Tending is consistent when the decision to tend is regularly renewed and when inconsistency is quickly confessed and repented of.

"Intentional"

Tending is intentional when it is the result of personal and corporate decision, rather than inheritance or mere habit.