The three areas in life we must guard are our heart, our mouth and our time. Let’s look at guarding our heart. As I was evolving from child to teen to adult, no one ever taught me how to guard my heart. How about you?
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)
The heart is defined in the Word of God as the place we should guard above everything else. So what is our heart?
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (KJV)
You and I were “wonderfully made” by God in His Image through Jesus and empowered by His Spirit (Psalm 139:14, Genesis 1:26-27, John 1:1-4). We were created body, spirit and soul. Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. The heart is the seat of our emotions or the “very throne of our lives”. So you and I must control who or what we put on the “throne of our hearts”. In other words, “guard your heart”.
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Proverbs 23:19 (NASB)
Your heart and mine wants everything to satisfy it. When I say everything, I am not exaggerating to make a point. I mean everything. Therefore, we must guard our hearts.
Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful; he who guards himself will be far from them. Proverbs 22:5 (AMP)
Our hearts were ruined by “the Fall of Mankind” and by the sin that so easily entangles us (Genesis 3, Hebrews 12:1 & Jeremiah 17:9). Here is what Jesus said about hearts that were left unguarded and lives guided by feelings instead of faith:
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” Mark 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Jesus also asked a very interesting question that pointed the way on how we are to guard our hearts.
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Matthew 9:4 (NIV)
WOW!!! Do we entertain evil thoughts in our hearts? You and I are going to have strange and worldly and dangerously wicked thoughts enter our minds. When we have evil thoughts enter our hearts, do we entertain them or hold the thoughts in our souls so that they grow into fantasies of perversion or fits of rage? These “thought seeds” are where crimes of passion begin. However, because we are born again and have the Holy Spirit in us to override these tempting thoughts and wrong ideas that invade our hearts; we now can choose which thoughts we want to stay in our heart and those that must go.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
Yes, you and I have been given the power to crush sin where it begins as a “small thought” or desire in the heart.
But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lusts, passion). The evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, bring forth death. James 1:14-15 (AMP)
The most dangerous thought and the deadliest phrase in the English language is “I can handle it”. This is usually not a statement that is even verbalized but one that is echoed in the heart and mind independent from God. It is the statement that married male ministers have made before counseling an attractive female one on one instead of letting a lady counsel the lady or doing the counseling session with his wife present. It is the statement one makes before watching a questionable movie as the scenes roll leaving “an ugly film of lust and adulterous thoughts” upon the heart and mind. This leaves the heart saying: “I was scarred for life.” “I can handle it” is the statement made before clicking a link on the internet that presents itself as fun and “good for knowledge” but really leads to fleshly images being branded on the brain and more scars for life. This is the ego that comes out when someone has had too much to drink and without any restraint says “I can handle the drive home”. The news the next day proves the thought was a lie. “I can handle it” is a very dangerous thought indeed that jumps into our hearts often.
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26 (NASB)
So what are some specific empowering God directed actions that you and I can do to guard our hearts?
><> Beware of flirting with worldly ideas and thrills…
“Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” Luke 8:18 (NIV)
><> Remove thoughts that lead to death and replace them with the Word of God… “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.” Proverbs 4:20-22 (NIV) (Also, Romans 12:2)
><> Last and most important, keep your heart surrendered to the True King of Your Heart…(Jesus says) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
All of God’s Love to you,
Gary and Debbie Landon
