God tells us to guard our hearts above all else-above our lives, our faith, our relationships, our dreams or whatever else we hold dear. As the scripture states: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23)
Why is this important to God? The answer is in the word wellspring, which can also be interpreted as "source". The heart is the source of life. When God created us, He made our hearts central to our being-physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Physically, the heart is at the center of the circulatory system. It pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body. If the heart has trouble, the entire body is in danger of losing its life-giving flow of blood.
Spiritually, the heart is the place that the Holy Spirit dwells when we invite Him into our life. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with the power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17)
Emotionally, the heart leaps for joy when we delight in something or someone. It also aches when we experience disappointment or loss.
The heart is the core of all we are and experience in life, so when God says to guard it above all else, He is saying, "Protect the source of your life-the physical, spiritual and emotional source of your well-being." If your heart is not pure, neither will your thoughts, words and actions be pure. We need to be wise about the direction we allow our heart to go.
God didn't design our hearts to be completely satisfied in human relationships but only in relationship with Him. Once we get filled up with His love, we will be able to love others with integrity. When our relationships are healthy and appropriate, we can respect other people and protect their hearts as well. When God sees we are guarding our hearts, He will reward us with an even greater revelation of Himself and His extravagant love for us.
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Why do I feel jealous when others succeed? Why do I rejoice when others fail? Why do I feel proud towards those less-educated than I am? Why am I cold-blooded towards those people who need my help? As a result, I find myself acting the way I shouldn't act. How I think and feel in my heart brings about how I act, what person I am, and so what life I will lead.
We all need to guard out heart, watch our motive in our behaviour. See more at http://rickysoo.blogspot.com/2007/03/guard-my-heart.html.
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