This is a recap of the room devotional Monday December evening in Christianfellowship chat room, enjoy.
<@CoramDeo> “Guarding Your Heart and Mind”
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23, ESV)
<@CoramDeo> The NIV translates this as “guard your heart. In Scripture, the heart is the very center of one’s being, the seat of reason and the will. The seat of desire, inclination, or will can be indicated by “heart.” It is also considered the seat of emotions, the seat of knowledge and wisdom and as a synonym of “mind.”
Your heart is the most important tool you have. It is not your experience, knowledge, or skills. It is your heart that matters most of all. Jesus said it plainly:
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45, ESV)
I believe it is necessary to guard one’s heart (and mind) for three reasons: 1) Your heart is extremely precious; 2) Your heart is the source (springs of life) of everything that you do; and, 3) Your heart is under continual attack. Let’s look at each of these three points.
First – Your heart is extremely precious
We don’t tend to guard worthless things. When I take my trash cans out on Thursday evening, I come back inside. I never spend the night standing in the cold guarding my trash cans. Why is that? Because these are worthless items.
It is not so with your heart. Your heart is the essence of who you are. It is your authentic self, the very center and core of your being. It is where your passions and desire reside. It is that part of you that connects with God and other people.
When your heart is damaged, when your heart dies, everything else dies. That is why Solomon admonishes us to make our hearts our top priority. Above all – guard your heart.
2) Your heart is the source (springs of life) of everything that you do
Proverbs calls it “the wellspring of life.” In other words, it is the source of everything else in your life. Your heart overflows into thoughts, words, and actions.
In Oregon, we have many beautiful natural springs, where water flows to the surface of the earth from deep under the ground. It then accumulates in pools or runs off into creeks and streams.
If you plug up the spring, you stop the flow of water. If you poison the water, the flow becomes toxic. In either situation, you threaten life downstream. Everything depends on the condition of the spring.
In the same manner, if your heart is unhealthy, it has an impact on everything that you do. It threatens your family, your friends, your ministry, your career, and, indeed, your legacy. It is, therefore, imperative that you guard it.
Let’s move to the final point – 3) Your heart is under continual attack
<@CoramDeo> In Proverbs, the writer is implying that we are living in a combat zone. In combat zones, there are casualties and there are deaths. We cannot be oblivious to this fact. We have a real enemy who is bent on our destruction. He not only opposes God, but also opposes those who are aligned with God and His purposes.
The enemy uses many types of weapons to assault our hearts. This can come in the form of some circumstance that leads to discouragement, disappointment or disillusionment. In these times, it is imperative that we guard our hearts above all things because we would be most inclined to give up.
We must choose these times to guard our hearts and mind. We must be ever watchful what goes into our hearts and mind. What we feed ourselves with will determine our growth. Avoiding anger, pride and temptation are also critical elements of guarding the heart.
Let me close with some words of wisdom from the Apostle Paul:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9, ESV)
Notice in the latter part of the verse it says “PRACTICE these things.” They do not come naturally. We must consistently and intentionally put them into practice.
Dwell on these things, brothers and sisters, and erect an impenetrable fence around your hearts each day. May God continue to show mercy and help in all of our times of need.
Amen