"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." -Proverbs 4:23
Many of us have heard the phrase "guard your heart" before. But what does this mean? Why does the Bible say to guard our hearts? Is this optional for someone who loves the Lord? I would venture to say that we wouldn't survive long in life without guarding our hearts to some degree.
It's interesting to note that Solomon says, "Above all else..." That must mean the guarding of our hearts is really important! Then he goes on to say, "...for everything else you do flows from it."
Think about that for a moment. Our hearts are wrapped up in our minds and emotions. These are the places where we begin to make choices about things - either positive or negative. The heart is the beginning of our beliefs. It's the creative workshop for our lives. Fear starts there. Love starts there. Doubt starts there. Dreams start there. Resentment starts there. Hope starts there. The heart is the birthing ground for so many things - it can also be the grave too. Our lives are a reflection of what is alive in our hearts.
We need to be careful what we "feed" our hearts, or what we allow in. Just like we wouldn't eat food that's gone rotten or has worms, we shouldn't taken in rotten words or repeat them! They will make our hearts sick. We also need to be aware of who we develop relationships and emotional bonds with. Are these people good for us? Are they encouraging? It's okay to reach out to people who need it - but it's also important to have a balance of friends that you can depend on, too. All this influences how healthy our hearts will be!
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