Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Pro 4:23
I read this verse and was unsure of what was it really meant. Guard your heart? I thought we are supposed to love and open ourselves, tear down walls, love our enemies, and bless those who persecute us. So how do we do all of these things and guard our hearts? Our hearts are right out there in the open!
Well, I feel the Lord answered my prayer and revealed to me what He meant. When I say "revealed to me" I usually mean the scriptures came alive to me even though I had read them before - not that the Lord is showing me something that nobody else knows about. He just helps me "get it".
Shortly after pondering this the Lord led me to this verse:
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:5-7
How do I guard my heart? With the peace of God! How do I get the peace of God? Prayer, petition and thanksgiving! If I am anxious instead of presenting my requests to God I do not have peace and instead I have frustration, bitterness, anxiety, stress, and a worrisome heart. God asks us to guard ourselves against those things. Protect our heart from negative things that keep us from our focus on Him. It goes back to magnifying ("fixing our gaze on"- below) God and not magnifying our problems. Guard our hearts from sin!
Then I went back to the verse again it confirmed what I understood to be true.
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Prov. 4:23-27
and another:
A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones Prov. 14:30
He wants us to enjoy abundant life and victory - and the heart is the wellspring of life.
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2 comments:
This is so true! Thanks!
I really enjoyed all three blogs you wrote today. I love the explanation of guarding your heart. That really spoke to me. I also like what you said about not complaining, so that we can remain blameless. I want to be that person who rejoices in everything. Thank you for your example and constant encouragement. I love you.
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