OK…I’m still going through proverbs, but one verse in particular has been jumping out at me constantly.
Prov. 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (KJV)
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (NLT)
And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life. (BIBE)
Guys, this means that your heart is your life! So essentially, you’re not only guarding your heart, but guarding your life. If you’re allowing people to just mess with your heart any which way they please, they are messing with your life!
Think of this scenario: Girl and guy have been dating for 7 months. They break up. Her heart is broken, she feels like she can’t go on living anymore, and her ground has been torn out from underneath her…why? because your heart is your life! broken heart = broken life!….
YES it is that deep…
One of my favorite pastors (Mark Driscoll) defines diligence as sanctified stubbornness. I think this is spot on! You have got to be sanctifiedly stubborn about this, NOT stush, or “walled-up”, or “caged-up”. Christ did not teach us to put walls up and a castle with a moat around our hearts because we’ve been hurt. This will shut out Christ too. He said guard your heart in a sanctified manner…but what does this mean?
Proverbs talks in many places about choosing wise friends, and not talking too much or frivolously (having no purpose), and not engaging with a fool etc…this is one way, but my favorite and simplest way is by following the peace of God!
Phil. 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
This is my FAVORTIE scripture…what it means to me is, the sanctifiedly stubborn way of guarding my heart, is by letting the peace of God do it…all I have to do is what Christ requires of me (love and serve Him, love and serve my neighbour, LUST AFTER WISDOM, and surround myself with good friends that can love me right or love me wrong). I remember getting into a situation with a friend and shortly after feeling no peace about what I had just told them. I prayed about it, and sought counsel from my elders, and they told me off for “just talking for the sake of talking…”. When my peace leaves, then God is not in that situation with me, and my heart is open to attack!
We’ve all had situations with friends when we’re about to divulge some sensitive information and you get that seriously hesitant feeling deep inside you (not due to your personal fears of vulnerability etc) because you know you shouldn’t be going there with that person…RUN!
We’ve all got to a certain point in a relationship where we’re like “this is getting a bit too deep for my liking, I’m giving myself away to easily”….and you loose your peace…RUN!
guys…even with potential partners, GUARD YOUR HEARTS…I’m seeing too many people giving themselves away too easily and quickly, getting too emotionally attached, and starting to pray about situations that simple common sense will tell you to love your life and step away from…
Trusting someone with your heart is trusting them with your life. I’m not saying this to say we should all walk around paranoid and “stush”, but to say we should really apply common sense and wisdom!!! The only person that should have your heart is God, and if you’re married, your spouse.
I thank God for my friends, because by the infinite and amazing power of God, He’s used them to teach me that what I thought was me guarding my heart, was me nursing my fears and insecurities. Self deception is a dangerously powerful thing! I now know and am learning the difference, and I’m acquiring more of GOD and WISDOM to let HIM do it for me….the peace of God will guard your heart people…follow GOD!!!
Guarding your heart also means taking care of it, and nursing it…if something hurts you, give yourself time to heal…don’t just brush it off and keep on going because on second exposure to that stimulus, the pain will be worse.
If you don’t trust someone, how can you give them your heart?
How can you give your life to someone you don’t trust? ……(also why some of us haven’t fully surrendered to Christ, but that’s a whole different blog lol)
You only have one heart and one life to live. Be careful who you share it with…
That phrase you can’t help who you love….LIES….you CAN choose who you give yourself to…Your life (heart) should be hid in Christ in God ANYWAY…hence why His peace guards your heart…
point, case: Guard your heart, guard your life…Jesus guards your heart, Jesus guards your life….which do you prefer?
Wow! Deep deep deep. I’m just ‘hmmm’ing here lol. A word in season. Thanks for writing 🙂
Very nice piece of writing, crystal clear but profound…….I like the part of dealing with it (get healed) and not brushing is aside, cause from experience, I’ve felt the x2 pain and its not the one folks!
true words. very deep.
This was interesting and true…
Guys, this is what I read tonight:
John 14:25-31…Jesus tells the disciples that He’s going away, but leaving the Holy Spirit with them. He then goes on to say “peace I leave with you”. this means that the Holy Spirit is the spirit and gift of peace…if we want Gods peace to guard our hearts, we need to pray for His Holy Spirit , more of it, and an increased sensitivity to it..where our hearts and conscious’ have been seared due to our own sin, ignorance, scars, and pain, ask God to heal it so we can feel His spirit and know when it’s left us and we are vulnerable to attack……Jesus help us!