Guard your heart...what does that mean exactly? The Bible has this instruction recorded for us in The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 4 and Verse 23, it reads "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it". Of course, I am not a preacher of any kind, and this is only my own interpretation of this scripture, but to me this verse is telling us a few different things.
Pay attention to your thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 tells us "As a man thinks, so he becomes". This means that whatever you are thinking you will become. For example, if you think you are going to fail, you will. Any time you are thinking a negative thought, try to erase it and rewrite the thought to be a better one. Act as if your mind is a notebook and you did not like what you wrote down and so you must change it. The mind is very powerful.
Be cautious with our actions. A person's truth is in their heart. Whatever is in a person's heart will reflect in their actions. When we commit an action that afterwards we find ourselves unhappy with, this leads to a feeling of regret or sadness, which, in turn, creates a heaviness within our hearts. If we become unhappy with ourselves it can lead to a state of depression or even anger, causing a potential domino effect of poor decisions. Depression can lead to thoughts of suicide, laziness due to lack of motivation and more. When we act in a way that fills our hearts with joy, we experience a lighthearted, happy feeling. When we are happy, we are more productive, making us more enthusiastic about doing God's work He has called us to do. Basically, our actions cause a ripple effect of the same types of actions.
Choose your partner wisely. A scripture I personally love to reference for marriage is, "A cord of three strands is not easily broken", Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, meaning, your relationship is much stronger with God in it. If you have a partner that does not believe in God and is always ridiculing you for praying and studying The Word, this will most likely result in a feeling of loneliness and could drive you further apart from him or her. Now, don't get me wrong here, it could also have a great outcome if approached in the right manner and you could help bring your partner to Christ! I am only saying, this difference in beliefs could cause more strife than good. If your partner lacks respect and is constantly talking down to you, calling you ugly names or criticizing your appearance it is most likely going to send you into a spell of darkness leaving you unhappy with yourself. This type of behavior could result in an eating disorder, causing you to become unhealthy. It could lead to a feeling of insecurity or emptiness, causing you to feel worthless and unnecessary. If your partner has a strong relationship with Jesus, he/she is more likely to have good morals and less likely to commit adultery. Once a relationship faces this obstacle, it is nearly impossible to fully trust again. This type of betrayal causes scars on hearts rendering them damaged beyond repair, most of the time. When a person experiences this sort of hurt, they can transform into someone they themselves don't even know. They could become distant, cautious, suspicious, bitter, etc. If your partner consistently voices how beautiful you are through their eyes, how happy they are to have you by their side in this life, they appreciate you cooking dinner for them etc. you are going to have a more fulling relationship. If your partner helps you with daily tasks, asks about your day, is eager to talk with you, prays for you and with you, these types of acts will bring you closer together and much stronger as a couple and also lead to your heart feeling the type of love that it needs to feel to be strong.
Health. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" God tells us that our body is not our own and I don't know about you, but I usually take better care of others' things than my own! LOL. Unfortunately, in this case, I need to do better with this one! The physical health of our hearts is obviously of extreme importance. Having poor eating habits, which I am currently working on, (LOL, just a bit of honesty here) can result in unhealthy heart conditions. We need our hearts to be strong and healthy to keep us going here on Earth so we can follow the path God designed for us and complete the tasks He is counting on us to complete! The heart pumps about 2,000 GALLONS of blood EACH DAY, according to the internet. That is a lot of work! If we eat better, we feel better, we do better.
The heart plays a big role in who we are, what we do and how we do it. Psalm 51:10 asks God to, "Create in me a PURE heart." The heart must be extremely important because God mentions it numerous times in our "instruction manual".
Sin dirties up our heart and God clearly states we need a PURE heart. We are all sinners, and as much as we try not to, we are human, and we all fall short. If you have never had the chance to be saved, you have it now. Pray this prayer with all the faith and belief in your HEART and try your best to be a better you each day. Try to continuously get closer to God and listen to His instructions for your path...
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to You right now and confess that I am a sinner. I know that I have sinned against You and I am asking for Your mercy and forgiveness. I am eternally grateful that You sent Your one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to give me a chance at salvation. I believe that He died to pay the debt for my sins and rose again and by His blood I am saved. I ask You, Jesus, to come into my heart and purify it. I believe that You are my one and only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Your Holy name I pray and believe. AMEN!
Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."
Stay the course!
