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Our hearts are so fragile, yet often so hard. We hurt and weep and the lightest insult toward ourselves, but lack empathy for our neighbor. We fill it so full of eternally useless things that we leave no room for what lasts. We go from feeling like our heart will burst with pride to feeling like it is shattered into a thousand pieces. Yet, how can we guard our hearts from both the pain and the over-indulgent pleasures?
As parents, we have such a great responsibility over the hearts of our children. In Proverbs 23:26 Solomon says, “My son, give me your heart.” When they are young, we are responsible to guard their hearts, but as my children mature and enter the teen years, I want them to remember God’s direction to “guard your heart.”
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NASB
“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NKJV
“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Proverbs 4:23 MSG
When God, through Solomon, admonishes us to watch or guard our hearts. I don’t think his concern is with saving our feelings as much as with saving our souls. Of course, I hate to see my teens go through heartaches, though they are a necessary part of growing up! If we open ourselves to others, we cannot full protect our hearts from being hurt. I do not want them to be afraid of taking chances with relationships because of the chance of being hurt. I want them to love fully even when they are not fully loved in return. When we love our neighbor as ourselves, we know not every neighbor will return that love.
So if we cannot guard our hearts from being hurt, what are we guarding them from?
We guard our hearts from anything that displeases God.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV
Jesus said it is the inner thoughts of the heart that makes a person unclean, not our food or physically dirty hands.
“And He said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.’” Mark 7:20-23 NKJV
So how can we guard our hearts? Let’s look at God’s Word. Our Heavenly Father knows our hearts better than we know them ourselves.
6 Ways to Guard Your Heart
1. Treasure heavenly things. If we want to guard where our hearts live we must be careful about things we value. Our hearts will be where our treasure is. (Matthew 6:19-21)
2. Filter what you put in your heart. Luke 21:34 Our hearts absorb the things we watch and listen to. “O be careful, little eyes what you see.” “O be careful, little eyes what you hear.”
3. Love God with your whole heart. (Matthew 22:37) God’s greatest desire for us is to love Him completely. When our hearts are full of Him, there is no room for evil.
4. Trust God’s peace that passes understanding to guard your heart, especially in hard times. Philippians 4:7, Proverbs 3:5
5. Don’t follow your heart. Your heart in deceitful and will lead you astray. Follow Jesus. (Jeremiah 17:9)
6. Let Jesus cleanse your heart regularly through repentance. (Hebrews 10:22, Psalm 51:10) We will never be perfect this side of heaven. Our hearts need regular cleansing to guard them from filling up with sin.
Knowing how to guard your heart is a pretty simple; actually doing it. . . well, that takes much practice and much more grace. Remember, the same grace that saves us is the grace that sustains us to live the Christian life.
So guard your heart and live for Jesus.
How do you guard your heart or how do you encourage your teens to guard their hearts? Please share in the comments.
See Know Jesus or What is the Gospel Anyway for to learn how to ask Jesus to cleanse your heart.
More in the ongoing series, “30 Things I Want My Teens to Remember”
