As a young girl, one of my favorite songs was “Guard your heart.” I didn’t know who sung it then, but a quick google search tells me Steve Green wrote it.

The lyrics really ministered to me, and as such, it became one of my favorite songs to sing and minister in the church.

Chorus:

“Guard your heart, guard your heart,

don’t trade it for treasure, don’t give it away,

guard your heart, Guard your heart.

As payment for pleasure, it’s a high price to pay.

For a soul that remains sincere with a conscience clear, guard your heart.”

The heart is a vital part of the human. Out of it flows all of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Every single intent originates there. That is why Jesus wants entrance there. It is through the heart that true change can occur.

I’m currently studying biblical counseling, and the place that biblical counselors usually target is the root of the counselee’s problem.

If you are struggling with anger or depression, it doesn’t matter the issue; the root cause always leads back to the heart.

Although a child of God, the believer still struggles with the issues that arise in their hearts. So many times, something would cross my mind that leaves me appalled at my own thoughts.

It is during those times that I have to say, “If it had not been for the Lord on my side, where would I be?”.

If we allow our uncontrolled hearts to dictate the things we say or do, that is a definite problem.

As sinners saved by grace, we are still capable of sin and failure. But if we guard our hearts, we will destroy evil imaginations and intentions before they reach fruition.

 

 

Let’s look at three reasons to guard your heart:

 

1. It is the center of who you are, your affection, and your will.

 

It is through our hearts that our thoughts are formulated. This is also where we get our reasoning. The mind is the part of the body that is your lawyer. It advocates for you to do damage continuously.

It tells you:

• You should steal the money the person dropped because you need it.
• What if God allowed you to see it because he wanted to answer your prayers for financial help?
• Maybe the person doesn’t need the money?

The heart is where evil intent begins, but it is played out in your thoughts.

Reasoning begins there. It is also the place that love begins. Love toward your family, friends, and romantic love.

Some people believe that you should follow your heart because it will never lead you wrong but is that really true? Yes, your heart is usually sincere, even if the advice is good or evil. So, this is not something that you should practice.

Proverbs 15:15- All of our days are afflicted with evil, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

When you guard your heart, your thoughts won’t be able to control you. You can rejoice and be glad in any and every situation, no matter the circumstances.

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Your thoughts can bring anxiety and worry, but your heart can still be glad. There is much to be happy about as a child of God because he has done so much for you.

Don’t allow the evil thoughts of past and present problems during your life to depict the way your heart responds. Guard your heart, my friend. Be joyous and happy in the God of your salvation.

 

2. Guard your heart because it is the reservoir of your behavior.

 

What is the reservoir? It is a huge human-made tank that holds water. The heart is the place where the imagination can develop all kinds of behaviors. It is the storage place for all our folly.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts above all else because everything we do flows from it.

When a man commits murder, steals, commits adultery, or fornication, it all begins in the heart.

Every single thing that we do or think flows from our hearts.

My daughter just turned 2, and I’m so amazed by what she says and does. I didn’t teach her to throw a tantrum. As a matter of fact, she has never even thrown a tantrum at school. But for some reason, she throws one at home at least every other day.

She knows when she does something wrong, and sometimes she doesn’t come when I call her until she wants to. Everything that she does was already ingrained in her at her conception. We (her dad and I) passed on our sinful nature to her, and now she has to be taught to do what is right.

I don’t have to teach anyone to do bad, but we have to train children to do what is right. My daughter’s heart will point her in the wrong direction continually if she doesn’t guard it.

 

3. Guard your heart because it reveals your hidden idols.

 

Idolatry begins in the heart. If we don’t guard our hearts, lusts begin taking over. Ezekiel 14:7 tells us about the Israelites and how they deserted God for their idols.

After everything that God did and was doing for them, they were quick to turn to idols whenever hardship arose in their life.

When lusts take over, and we actually follow our hearts’ evil intentions, we dishonor God. Moses was gone, and the people persuaded Aaron and Miriam to build a god out of gold.

I’ve often wondered why they were persuaded to build the golden calf when they knew who Moses went to commune with. The only thing I can think of is their heart wanted to have a god that they could see.

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Our hearts have the potential to place romantic relationships, children, family, jobs, and material possessions above God. The potential is right there, and we sometimes do it as well.

This is where self-examination comes into play because Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can understand it?

The heart should be protected at all times because without the protection; it will be corrupted. There are some ways that you can guard your heart and mind so that you can resist the devil.

There is a battle constantly waging, one between good and evil. Your heart hangs in the middle, and it’s up to you to guard it. Be careful with the things that you watch, stuff you say, and your attitude. Whatever you do flows from within, so feed it correctly, and you should be ok.

Call to Action

 

Your heart reflects who you are, what you care about, and the purpose or calling God has placed on your life.

It hides and reveals the things that you hold dear, and it is the storage place of how you operate here on earth.

Animals were given instinct, and God has given us our hearts. Guard it steadfastly, allow God to rule and take control.

While guarding your heart, protect your eyes and ears, and allow your thoughts to be saturated with good things. Philippians 4:8

Which reason stood out to you and why? How are you guarding your heart? Let me know in the comments.

I love you with the love of Christ. 🙂

Read: Why God wants you to guard your heart on iBelieve.com