Guard Your Heart!

 

"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! 

Are you sensitive to what is in your heart? Are you discerning to what you feed it? Are you able to rest in God's peace and truth? We shouldn't forget how to guard our hearts - God will help us guard our hearts with peace, if we allow Him to. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:7

Having Good Boundaries

"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." -Proverbs 25:28

Have you ever heard the term 'boundaries' before? The word may conjure up images of a fence or a wall, but the idea of boundaries has come up in recent years as it relates to our emotional and spiritual health and interactions with others. Drs. Cloud and Townsend have written a great book on the subject entitled Boundaries. Why are boundaries important?

Boundaries give order to our lives, and our world. If we didn't have them, our lives would be out of order. Imagine if you always stayed up late and got up early. You would always be exhausted. Your work would suffer, your relationships would suffer, and so would your health. Exercise habits, sleep schedules, dietary choices, time management, financial management, and relationships are all about good or poor boundaries. The Bible talks about boundaries. In the garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve both freedom and boundary. The Ten Commandments are a set of boundaries that God set up to help us be successful in life.

Perhaps the most elusive type of boundaries are the ones we need to have have with others. They may or may not make sense to us due to the way we were raised.

Recently a friend was sharing with me an experience she had had over the holiday between her and a family member of hers. This family member had said aloud that he did not like her music, (she is a musician), which was fine, but the statement came across as rude and belittling. She told him he was that he was entitled to his own opinion, but that she didn't appreciate the belittlement. He later apologized for his behavior.

The stronger we become in Christ, the stronger our boundaries become. But, this doesn't mean we shut people out. Conversely, we are in a better position to give and receive love. We are safe to be ourselves because we have set good boundaries in place in order to do so. As we realize more and more about God's nature and character we realize how He operates. He invites us to live within certain boundaries so that we can live a free and holy life, pleasing unto him, and a blessing to those we encounter.

Where are God's boundaries? What kind of boundaries should we have as His children? Make sure you are not a "city without walls" so that God can use you greatly for His kingdom.

Salty Sweet

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." -Proverbs 16:24
 
What does it mean to be salty or sweet? A friend of mine put together a website that parallels the internal state of our hearts with flavors. I thought it was such a great way to think about guarding our hearts and making sure we stay at a good balance of "salty" and "sweet"! 

I love being around salty sweet people. To me, this means a person who has an understanding of the love of God in their life, (sweet) and also an understanding of His boundaries and revelation (salty). These two words can also parallel spending time with God, as Mary did, (sweet) and also doing the work of God (salty) - as Martha did. Both are essential components of the Christian life. 

However, sometimes when situations get us down, they can allow us to get bitter or sour, instead of salty or sweet. There are many people in the world who are still dealing with past hurts or wounds unable to get past them. (Unfortunately, many of these people are Christians!) When our circumstances are continuously negative, it is easy to question the good nature of God, and allow our hearts to get bitter or sour. But the truth of the matter is, we must learn to forgive and let go. We mustn't let outside circumstances, people, or things dictate our faith or keep us from experiencing God's love in our lives. If we allow Him to, Jesus can heal those things that can turn us bitter or sour so that we will be cleansed and become salty and sweet instead. We don't need to leave people with a bad "taste" in their mouth! 

Are you salty and sweet, or are there any areas in your life where you are sour or bitter? Pray and ask God to cleanse your heart from any form of sourness or bitterness. He desires that we be continuously filled with His overflowing love and light.



You can check out my friend Toya's website at http://31flavours.weebly.com/what-flavour-are-you.html!