“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” – Proverbs 4:23 NLT 

The mental picture I get from this verse, is that of a soldier on a high post guarding, protecting, and if necessary, ready to defend a presidential palace or a castle. Guards, fences and other methods of protection are only necessary for things that are valuable. God is therefore telling us that our hearts are valuable and need to be protected.

The word heart, as spiritually referenced in the bible, is the center of the emotions, thoughts, and intentions. It is therefore, the most vital part of man, and basically determines who we are and what we do, think, and feel. God’s word says in Proverbs 23:7a, ’As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.’ 

I remember attending a church service many years ago, in which the sermon centered around the thought that “God feeds His sheep and milks the goats.” I didn’t understand then what the speaker was trying to imply, and I actually still don’t understand today, but I interpreted it to mean that God had favorites, and because I was going through a difficult period, I figured that I was a goat and not one of His beloved sheep. This affected me for years, and although I still attended church services, I gradually drifted until my heart was a million miles away from God. I became a fearful, doubtful, jealous person because I allowed myself to believe a lie.

Just as Paul inquired of the Galatians in chapter 5 verse 7, I had to pause and ask myself the same question: “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”. I learned the hard way, that unguarded hearts are open to being hindered and derailed from the track of ones purpose.

Are you in a season where you need to stop and ask yourself that question now? The ‘who’ isn’t really so important, the necessary actions are to recognize that you’re off track and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to get back to where God wants you to be. You then need to reinforce those castle walls so that whoever or whatever the enemy used to break in will no longer succeed.

I thank God that He pursued me and healed the wounds caused by leaving my heart unguarded. God made His word become alive to me, and I began to recognize that He loved me and cared about me. The more I internalized His truth, the more I recognized that I was His beloved child, and the more I hungered for, and studied God’s word to learn what He thought about me. Today I know without a doubt that God loves us all unconditionally and that there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:39). 

I have learned that it is extremely important to guard my heart. I try to avoid hanging around negative people because, as God’s word says in Galatians 5:9, “a little leaven affects the entire loaf.” So, one important step to take in guarding your heart is to stop and examine who your friends are. If your friends are strong, encouraging, godly women, it is very likely that you are either a strong, encouraging godly woman or on your way to becoming one. If your friends are negative, bossy, complaining, gossipers it is very likely that you are either a negative, bossy, complaining, gossiper or…, you get the point.

Another important step is to examine what you’re feeding yourself, and I‘m not referring to nutrition. Although a healthy diet is very important, that’s not my topic. Do you spend hours watching junk on television, or reading junk? It could be time for a diet change. Invest in a good study bible and feed on God’s word. Fill your heart with what God’s word says. Find reading material and movies or audio material that will help you to accomplish God’s purpose for your life. Remember also that some things that are permissible may not be expedient. If you feel discouraged, get resources that will uplift and encourage you or do a topical study on encouragement. 

A step that we often overlook is to test everything we hear, even what we hear at church, against God’s word. This implies that we need to study and know God’s word so that we can recognize lies when we hear them. Don’t be a sponge and simply absorb and internalize all that you hear, because what you allow into your heart determines who you become. According to Proverbs 27:19, “the heart reflects the person.” 

The fact that we are instructed to guard our hearts, tells us that there is someone or something that seeks to damage our hearts.  In 2 Corinthians 2:11, we are told to, “be aware of the devil’s schemes…” The devil knows how vital our hearts are so he will try to gain access by any means he can.

Beware of the scheme of gradualism in which things that are wrong are gradually tolerated until they no longer seem wrong. Do you tolerate and even participate in office conversations involving lewd jokes? Do you watch movies containing cursing and swearing because there seems to be nothing else available? If things that once made you cringe, are slowly becoming acceptable, then that is an example of gradualism in effect. Guard your heart again gradualism.

Just as life is physically dependent on the heart, so too is life spiritually dependent on the heart, so guard your heart because it determines the course of your life.

Originally published on July 15th, 2007