Guard Your Heart
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
This is clearly an important command:
> Your heart is the core of who you are. The ancient Hebrews used the word ‘heart’ to refer to more than just the anatomical organ that pumped blood; it was also the essence of the human being, the center of affection and hope and desires. Nothing can be more important than guarding this.
> The Scripture gives this as a reason: ‘from it flow the springs of life.’ All the actions of your life, all your reactions to the situations that you are placed in, the entirety of your decisions, will flow from your ‘heart.’
> All vigilance is required. Evidently there are things that you need to guard against; you need to be very wary, so that you ‘keep’ (guard, protect) your heart – because any number of things could lead to disaster.
What does this look like practically?
> You must be sure that nothing comes between you and the Lord. You must deal with anything that threatens God’s unique position in your life. Whether that be a sin or a harmless diversion – or even a beneficial priority or relationship in life – it must be put in its place (or excised).
> Watch your internal dialogue. Observe how you think through the various events of life. Do you process these things with faith, belief in God, acceptance of his will? Or is there a subtle doubt, bitterness, or frustration that runs through your self-talk? Observe yourself, and keep yourself from any thought patterns that will harm your heart.
> Submit yourself to God; you must be completely open to his guidance and leading. Do not refuse his direction; do not cling to anything. Every desire must be on the altar, and all of you must be before the altar. Make it your ambition to be able to say, as Abraham, Moses, Samuel, and Isaiah, “Here I Am” – I stand ready to obey.
> Learn to be content in whatever circumstance you are placed. Is not God better than anything else that you could desire (Hebrews 13:5)? If you truly believe that, then your heart will be content. But where there is discontent, your heart is unguarded.
> None of this is natural. It takes effort and carefulness. There is a reason why we are told to ‘keep’ the heart. It must be guarded or watched, like a banker protecting his money, or a soldier guarding his post. Continually observe and correct the attitude of your heart.
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