iSpeech

The concept of guarding our hearts comes from Proverbs 4:23-26.

23: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

24: Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

25: Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26: Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

We are reminded of all the things that try to come against us. Guarding our hearts means being wise and discerning in our lives. Guarding our hearts means protecting ourselves as Christians from all the things that would come to harm us. We have to overcome temptations every day. We need to find ways to overcome doubts that tend to creep in. We guard our hearts against all kinds of distractions from our faith. Our heart is fragile. We have to do what we can to protect it because it is an important part of our spiritual walk

REASONS TO GUARD YOUR HEART

The fragility of our hearts should not be taken lightly. If your heart is the connection to God, what kind of relationship will you have if your heart starts to fail? If we allow all the unkind forces in the world to pull us away from God, our heart becomes unhealthy. If we only feed our heart junk from the World, our heart stops working the way it should. Just like our physical health, our spiritual health can fail if we don't take good care of it. When we let down our guard and forget the things that God tells us through the Bible and through prayer, we do damage to our hearts and our relationship with God. That is why we are told to guard our hearts.

Guarding your heart doesn't mean hiding it behind a brick wall. It means being careful, but it does not mean cutting ourselves off from the world. Many people think that guarding your heart means don't allow yourself to get hurt. The result of this kind of thinking is that people stop loving one another or isolating themselves from others. However, that is not what God is asking. We are to guard our hearts against unhealthy and damaging things. We are not to stop connecting with other people. Our hearts will breaks from time to time as we go into and out of relationships. When we lose loved ones, we will be hurt. But that hurt means we did what God asked. We loved others. Guarding our hearts means allowing that love in and letting God be our comfort. Guarding your heart means becoming wiser in your life, not being isolated and unhurt. 

HOW DO I GUARD MY HEART?

If guarding our hearts means becoming wiser and more discerning, there are ways we can build up those spiritual disciplines:

Study Your Bible: If you want to know how to guard your heart against things that will pull you away from God, the Bible is the best place to start. It is full of advice for living wisely.

“Be not conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. (Romans 12:2)

When God gets ready to change someone, how does He do it? By changing how they think. God changes the thought process.

What Solomon said to his son was, “Son, guard, protect, and be careful of your thought life. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to present our bodies to Him, including our minds, that He might transform us. No wonder the devil battles for the mind. How important that we learn to keep our hearts because a fierce battle is raging for the control of our minds. Studying the WORD of God will help us to overcome evil thoughts and actions.

Spend Time In Prayer: Guarding your heart means having a healthy relationship with God. That relationship grows as you pray and have conversations with Him.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 that prayer, not boundaries, is the means of guarding your hearts. How you approach your relationship with God is going to directly impact how you approach your relationship with people around you.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Choose Friends Wisely: Choosing good friends seems easy, but sometimes we lose sight of friends who are good for us and the ones that seem more fun or flashy. Make sure there is a substance in your relationships. The kind of friends you keep determines the state of your heart from time to time.

Get Good Advice: When we're stuck in a situation, turn to a spiritual leader that you respect for being strong in his/her faith. Whenever a man is in trouble, his heart will be so divided and be ready to receive words of encouragement from people around. But we have to choose wisely.

Learn To Overcome Temptation: We are surrounded by temptation after temptation in our daily lives. Find ways to avoid them or learn how to walk away from bad situations.

Learn to overcome doubt. Doubt can creep in slowly. We hear anti-Christian messages every day. Learn to push doubt aside and strengthen your faith.

Lastly, Ephesians 6:11-18 say;

11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13: Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14: Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15: And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Shalom!