I was a person who does not read the Bible that much before. I read many bible verses but I did not want to remember it before.. Until the time I chose to surrender my life to Christ, one of the advices I got is…. GUARD YOUR HEART.
I did not understand before the essence of guarding my heart. I was a person who always follows my emotions. Heart over matter. But of course I still used my mind but I preferred FOLLOWING MY HEART.
1. “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and it is those things that make a person unclean.” – Matthew 15:18
This verse says it all. Of course, what is inside our hearts will define who we are. If your heart is a grateful heart, it will be shown in your actions. If your heart is bitter, it will be heard through your mouth. If your heart is angry, it can be seen and heard. IT DEFINES YOU. One of the things I learned in life is YOU CANNOT HIDE THE INSIDE OF YOUR HEART. It will be seen through your life.
“…and it is those things that make a person unclean.”
YOUR HEART CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOU. It can lead to your destruction in the future. It can lead to healthy relationships. It can lead to sufferings. It can show your character. It can make you show your evil ways. It can define selfishness. It can define bitterness. The list goes on.
One of the things I learned from my friend who is a Psychology graduate is what is the inside of your heart in the present, can still be brought until many decades from now. It is wise to assess the inside of your heart. One of the things I face in my Christian walk is the more I know God, the more I know my self…. The more I know my heart.
2. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke 6:45
Sometimes we always say to people that we are good, but through our hearts, WE can be defined. I was a person who cannot see myself.. But other people can read me. And this passage says it all. Through my mouth, I can be read by any person. And yes, through your mouth, A PERSON CAN READ YOU. You may not see your own self but OTHERS CAN SEE YOU.
3. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” – Proverbs 4:23 (MSG)
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” – Proverbs 4:23 (GNT)
I typed the three versions so that it would be easily defined and explained. The first translaton says that if a heart is not guarded, it can affect relationships, friendships, character, etc. As I read more the Bible, the best ways to guard my heart is to READ HIS WORD. Proverbs is all about WISDOM. Wisdom will help everyone to be wise in their decisions and actions. Other parts of the Bible also tells about life: your work, your friendships, love, Holy Spirit, forgiveness, following God, etc. ALWAYS LET YOUR HEART BE GUARDED. The enemy/Satan’s ways are TEMPTATIONS, DECEPTIONS AND ACCUSATION. Deception of the enemy is yeah, VERY DECEIVING. There are times Satan will imitate God so that you will not see that it is from Satan. Let your heart be guarded through the Word… Through prayers. Through godly counsel. Through the Holy Spirit. Ask in faith the Holy Spirit for discernment.
The second version says… “..that’s where life starts.”
One of the quotes I read says, “Your heart defines some of your circumstances.” You may have some enemies because of what is coming out of your heart. You may have some broken relationships because of what is coming out of your heart. You may be a person who is confident and secured because of the inside of your heart. It is where life starts. Some circumstances in our lives are coming from our heart. And also, I am always reminded that if God has a plan, THE ENEMY HAS A PLAN TOO. Seek wisdom from GOD. Pray and converse with him about these things. Because the enemy will always attack your HEART first.. your emotions. 🙂 The enemy may put you in season THAT IS NOT your season.
The third version says, your life is shaped by your THOUGHTS. Uh-oh. Yes, what you think about anything will DEFINE YOUR LIFE. Because your thoughts will teach how to deal with any situation. Your subconscious will really affect your life. So always be careful what you feed in your SOUL, HEART AND MIND.
4. “The human heart is the MOST DECEITFUL OF ALL THINGS, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9
Deciding to follow your heart must be consulted to God first. Consult the Bible first.. PRAY. Then ask advice from people who have relationship with God. The human heart is VERY DECEIVING because it is what the enemy uses for Satan’s strategies.
We want to follow God.. We want to know His ways. We want to hear from Him. God’s ways are PERFECT. His plans are perfect and good. BUT the enemy’s plans are HARMFUL. The enemy would do anything so that you would be away from God. THE ENEMY DOESN’T WANT YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF HIS PLANS FOR YOU.
BETTER THINK TWICE BEFORE FOLLOWING YOUR HEART. Pray. Ask God. Consult His word. Ask Godly counsel. Only God can read the WHOLE HEART.
Feel free to comment about the article! You can add anything for this article through COMMENTS. I know some people are much, much WISER when it comes to guarding their hearts. Feel free to add anything as long as it is not offensive. 🙂
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