Guard Your Heart

I was talking to a friend the other day and she mentioned that she had to guard her heart. 

Guard her heart from her surroundings.  From the people around her specifically.

I thought it was curious how she spoke in those terms. 

It stuck with me for a few days. What does that really mean for me?  What do I need to guard my heart from?

In order to get the full picture of this scripture, let’s look at a few translations and let’s break down a few things: 

CSB Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

KJV Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Interlinear Bible Proverbs 4:23 Of life (are) the outgoings from it for your heart guard diligence With all.

What does it mean to guard? Guard means to observe, preserve (keep something safe, from harm, decay or damage), keep watch, protect, and maintain. It also means besieged-which is to surround a fortified (already protected) city with an armed force.

So, if we have the holy spirit living in us, your heart is already fortified, meaning protected. But it doesn’t stop there. You also have the responsibility in tandem with the Holy Spirit to protect and maintain (guard) your heart-

How do I guard my heart? – Well first, the Holy Spirit must be in  our heart.  I can’t guard anything without the Holy Spirit.  He lives in you and me. 1 Corinthians 8:9-10 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 

When I Guard My heart what am I guarding? My feelings, the will and even the intellect.  The only way I know how to guard my feeling, the will, the intellect is we must learn to walk in the spirit and not the flesh; Galatians 5:16 I say, then, walk by the spirit and you will certainly not carry of the desire (passion, barely controllable emotion, lust) of the flesh.

We must die to our flesh to walk in the spirit.  Die to the responses to our emotions- what do I mean? Emotions are neither negative nor positive, they are responses to the circumstances around us.  I can either respond in flesh or in the spirit, to a situation I’m currently in.  Do my emotions dictate my actions or does the Holy spirit in me dictate my actions?

 Here are some examples I have wrestled with lately-

1. If someone is mean- I can either get in their face and be mean back or I can respond in the spirit and give them grace. Turn the other cheek.

Matthew 5:38-40 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

2. If I’m watching a Christian negatively commenting about another Christian  on social media I can either join in, write a nasty comment, repost, go down rabbit holes about all the negative things about that person. I can respond in the flesh.

Or… I can respond in the spirit. I can swipe up and move on. Or maybe give that individual the benefit of the doubt. Pray for that person or ask for God’s direction.  Is what was posted factual?  And if it’s important, ask God to help you discern what is true and what is click bait.  Real Christians, Pastor’s and Evangelist we usually trust can be misinformed.  They can be a part of persecuting without researching.  Not bothering with the whole story and acting on due diligence. Did they reach out to the individual and try and have a conversation?

Galatians 6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.

Ok, off my soap box about that and back to the heart of this blog.

What does guard “My heart” include? The heart is the center of the inner man, mind, will, and attention.

Am I keeping Christ the center of my inner man?  What am I focused on daily?  What do I spend my time doing?  Am I focused on my will or His will?  What do I give most of my attention to? These are questions I had to ask myself.  

I got so worked up about a stupid political post the other day, I allowed it to steal my joy.  My peace.  How silly is that!  I was not guarding my heart. I missed the mark on that day. 

KJV Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

With all diligence: careful, steady and persistent effort; confinement (within fixed limits), custody (keeping watch over), a deposit (valuable treasure), watch

Being a Christian is not a passive lifestyle.  We must work at it.  With Christ we can do all things.  He gives us the ability to be diligent. But we can’t just kick back and live life.  We must do:  DO HIS will: work at OUR salvation. Actively participate in being a child of God. 

For out of it are the issues of life- alive, appetite, living, life,- Are we living as God would want?  Are our activities of daily living centered on the issues of life and not death?  Spirit and not flesh?

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:12-17 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Interlinear Bible- Proverbs 4:23 Of life (are) the outgoings from it for your heart guard diligence With all

Outgoings: terminations, borders, escapes, exits, farthest borders, boundary

Outgoings- borders/boundaries for your heart.  Are we staying within the boundaries Christ has set up for us?  To keep us safe, content, prosperous and guarding our joy.  His borders are not to confine us, but to keep us from trouble.  He above all else wants us to prosper (thrive, succeed, grow and experience overall well-being) as our hearts prospers. 

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. (AMP)

Let’s wrap this up and be very clear what our responsibilities are and what the Holy Spirit’s responsibilities are.

Our responsibilities:

Matthew 22:37- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind-

Proverbs 4:13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. Guard it, for it is your life.

Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.

Proverbs 21:23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 13:3  The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

1 Timothy 6:20  Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent and empty speech and contradictions from what is falsely called knowledge.

2 Timothy 1:14  Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

1 John 5:21  Little Children, guard yourselves from idols.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:12-17 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Holy Spirit’s responsibilities:

1 Samuel 2:9 He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a person does not prevail by his own strength.

Psalm 12:7 You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever.

Psalm 25:20 Guard me and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you.

Psalm 116:6 The Lord guards the inexperienced; I was helpless, and he saved me.

Psalm 141:3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

1Peter 1:5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

My final thought...

Are we going to be perfect all the time, guarding our hearts?  NO! a resounding NO!  

Jesus is the only perfect one. 

When we miss the mark, repent quickly and make amends.

Give yourselves some grace. 

And move forward quickly. 

Get back into the fight. 

Guard your heart with diligence-making Jesus the center of your life.