Guard Your Heart

There is a passage I fear we do not necessarily realize the depths of wisdom it brings to us. The passage reads, “Above all, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov. 4:23) The first thing that often comes to mind when we read “Guard your heart” is that we be careful what we read or see with our eyes lest our heart be contaminated with unholy thoughts. But I think there may be more to these words.

   In Luke 8 Jesus describes 4 types of soil which represent how our heart responds to the Word of God. One of the examples describe a portion of ground overgrown with thorns. It resembled a heart that permits other pursuits and concerns to crowd out our true devotion to God. As Luke puts it, “cares and riches and pleasures of life”.  In other words, “worldly stuff”.  Such “worldly stuff” may not be wrong in themselves but too much of it steals our love for the Lord and makes our hearts grow cold. We must be very careful about what we allow to hang out in our hearts. We need to carefully observe the entertainment we enjoy, the ambitions we harbor, and the anxieties we fail to turn over to God and His safe care. Guarding our hearts is not easy but absolutely necessary.