Guarded Hearts

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, the heart is on display. Walk into your local Target, Walmart, or grocery store and you will see all the hearts your heart can handle. Heart-shaped candy boxes, candies, and candles, hearts on blankets, coffee mugs and Kleenex, hearts in cereals, flowers and pop-up cards. 

So wth all these Valentine displays, I have the heart on my mind. Recently so did my women’s Bible study group. Going though the book of Proverbs, we focused the night’s discussion on Solomon’s words, “Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life” (Prov 4:23). If you grew up in the church like I did, you likely heard this text in reference to dating relationships. Youth pastors warned that failure to protect our heart would result in bad relationships, heartache and sexual sin. Even just the other day a date and I were talking about how he was taught to guard a girl’s heart in his dating relationships. While this certainly is wise application, we miss much if limit this verse to dating. 

In the Bible, the heart represents the center of our being, our will, desires, and emotions. Solomon knew then that whatever influences and fills our hearts determines the course of our lives. If we allow the things of the world, our flesh, or lies into our hearts, this then will take us down paths of failure, confusion, sin, separation, and death. In contrast, if we ensure our hearts are filled with wisdom (Prov 2:2; 4:4, 5), truth (3:3), kindness (3:3), justice (8:20), and whole-hearted trust in the LORD (3:5, 6), we will walk down the path of life, finding joy, meaning, and the pleasure of God. 

So how can we practically protect our hearts from our flesh, the world, and the father of lies? While there are certainly a variety of ways to keep guard, paying attention to our words, both the ones we speak and the ones we think, proves paramount. Jesus says, “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart“ (Matt 12:34). He says to us, if you want an idea of what’s streaming into your heart, listen to your speech. Have your words been filled with kindness or sarcasm? Encouragement or criticism? Hostility or invitation? Joy or complaining? Hope or defeat? What we hear reveals either the treasure or trash in our hearts (Matt 12:35).

If the words we speak seem out of sync with the gospel and character of Jesus, there’s a good chance we need to examine the words we think. Our thoughts either pollute or purify the waters of our heart, flowing into everything from our attitudes to our beliefs to our decisions. No wonder the New Testament author, Paul, places so much emphasis on our thoughts. For instance, to the church at Corinth he writes, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Like a watchman he stands guard ready to capture anything and everything contrary to the gospel and the hope we have in Christ. 

We must then get in the habit of stopping the flow of negative, deceptive and tainted thoughts by changing course. As Paul further writes, we should direct our thoughts instead to “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise” (Phil 4:8). That is, we need to focus our thinking on all that God is for us and has given us in Jesus. Are your thoughts flowing with self condemnation? Switch streams and ruminate on God's grace. Are they despairing? Think on God’s promises and your future inheritance in Christ. Is your mind flooded with worry? Meditate on the truth of Matt 6:25-34.

So this Valentine’s let’s put our own hearts on display. As Solomon encourages us, let’s take his words to heart (Prov 3:1) and practice guarding them. Like a conscientious watchman, examine closely what you’re letting in your heart and what’s flowing out. Take captive those thoughts contrary to the gospel and character of God and pour in the truth of His Word. As we let the person of Christ—His words, HIs grace, HIs promises, HIs love, His life—flood our minds, our hearts will overflow into springs of freedom, healing, and transformation.

Lifting Our Gaze This Week: Ideas for Application

💘Ask the Spirit to remind you of the truth that our mouth speaks from that which fills our heart and that our thoughts influence the direction of our hearts. Pray for understanding and the power to live according to the new heart you've been given in Christ (Col 1:29, 2 Cor 5:17).

💘Listen to your speech. If you need help remembering to do this, write Matt 12:34 on the bathroom mirror or on an index card and put you in car. Hear the tone, content and feelings of your words. Consider asking family members, close friends, or your small group to share what they most hear coming from your lips. Don't fall into condemnation (Rom 8:1), but ponder the grace of God when your speech wanders from the gospel and person of Jesus. Celebrate His work in your heart when you hear words that reflect Him. 

💘Take captive wayward thoughts. We don't capture thoughts by focusing on them, but by replacing them with truth. Jot down the thoughts or themes of your thoughts you want to change. Think of how Jesus lived out what you want to change. For example, if you have judgmental thoughts toward the poor, think of how Jesus praised the woman who gave a penny (Luke 21:1-4) or the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-25). Also use your knowledge of Scripture, the concordance in the back of your Bible or www.blueletterbible.org to help you find verses to replace lies with truth relevant to your specific thoughts.

💘Listen to David Crowder's, "Here's My Heart." Prayerfully, reflectively ponder the lyrics. What resonates with you? What quiets you? What truths refocus you?

💘Look up and meditate on the following verses regarding the heart: Deut 6:5, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 51:10, Luke 6:45, Eph 1:18, 19a