I find it interesting that just like our physical hearts provide the lifeline for our human existence, our spiritual heart is the lifeline to our spirit man. It’s like God knew what He was doing or something! If our heart (the organ) is damaged, life slows down drastically or even comes to an end. Isn’t the same true with the heart within our spirit? It’s no wonder that the Bible warns us to protect the condition of our heart.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Sometimes people don’t quite understand this and make comments like, “Well the Bible also says my heart is deceitful, so who knows what’s really going in in there!” God is just way better than that! He wouldn’t give such a clear warning in Scripture and then make it impossible for us to walk it out.
Here’s three heart-revealing questions. Answer honestly, and you’ll have a pretty good understanding if you are “keeping your heart”.
1. What am I saying?
The following verse in Proverbs 4 says,
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Are your words distorted? Are they misleading? Do they present a false impression of truth? Our words must align with truth – truth by God’s definition. Do you say what is in line with His heart for you and your situation? Or do you say what you feel?
The words you say direct the course of your future. Guard them carefully!
2. What do I see?
Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Are you swayed by circumstances or people’s opinions? Or do you see beyond the facts to the truth? There is so much value to keeping our eyes on the prize – steady gazed, laser focused, aiming at the end goal.
Society today has removed truth and creates ideologies based on whatever feels good at the time. Sadly, this lack of recognizing truth, is creeping into the church. Truth is truth, and therefore should never waver. A heart that is guarded, focuses on the truth of who God is in each situation, even when the facts ring out otherwise.
Where am I going?
Verses 26 and 27 go on to say,
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
These three questions are a progression. Our words speak what our eyes see, and our feet begin taking steps in that direction. Are you making decisions today that will lead you closer to your destiny tomorrow? Are you saying “no” when the easy thing would be to say “yes”? (or vice versa). Each decision we make is as step in a direction – a guarded heart chooses the path of righteousness over the path of least resistance.
Lord, please help me to see what You see, to say what lines up with that, and to follow You in everything I do.
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