Devotions: Guard Your Heart

 

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23 New American Standard Bible 1995

 

This verse has always “been a poser” for me. I am horrible at guarding my heart, partly because I have no idea how to do it. I realize the importance. It affects every part of life. But how? Recently, my husband and I were talking about thought life. It’s something with which I’ve always struggled. On his way to work one morning he sent me a text, “Guard your mind, darling.” This verse finally made sense to me. In Hebrew culture, when they talk about the heart they are actually referring to the mind and thoughts. Psychologically, our emotions are influenced by our thoughts, which then influence our actions. That is the connection. When it says “watch over your heart” it does not mean keep from feeling emotions, it means be careful what you think. Diligently guard your thought life because that affects what you feel and subsequently how you act. I can see how thinking about traumatic things that haven’t happened (and probably never will), wreaks havoc on my emotions which results in irritability, etc. I’ve heard it said, “you are what you think,” and that is why. That is where it all begins, and that is why we need to watch over, or guard it, with all diligence. It is of utmost importance.

What do you think about? How much control do you exercise over your thoughts? What result is your thought life having on the rest of your life? Ask God to help you control your thoughts, to focus on what is good, right, true, pure, etc., and to help you take the bad thoughts captive so that they don’t unnecessarily disrupt your life.

 

 

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