Heart Matters, Part 2
Keep (guard) thy heart with all diligence… – Proverbs 4:23
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart… – Deuteronomy 6:5
…with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. – Acts 11:23
When the Bible speaks of the heart it is often referring to the place where our will, conscience, emotions, and appetites are harbored. It is that place where our decisions are really made. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 15:18-19: But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…
The prophet Jeremiah even said that the heart is deceitful! That, coupled with what Christ said in Matthew, should make us aware of the importance of guarding our hearts.
But how do we do that?
From what I have been able to tell from Scripture, the best way to guard your heart is to give it completely to God. The keyword is completely.
In our culture people like to keep their options open. They don’t really like the idea of long-term commitment. If they get married, they always have divorce as plan B. Loyalty is often a forgotten quality regarding the workplace, houses of worship, relationships, etc. But God requires that we keep our options closed when it comes to our relationship with Him. He wants all of our hearts!
Imagine being in a relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend who only wants to talk to you every other day. On the days they are not talking to you they are hanging out with another boyfriend or girlfriend. Your relationship with them wouldn’t last long because you want to be the one. God’s desire to be the one is not petty or born out of jealousy. He knows what is best for us. So He requires our all so He can keep our all from falling.
Giving our hearts completely to Him requires faith and purpose. Giving ourselves to Him is not accidental. It is an act of the will. That is why He gave us a free-will, so we could choose Him. Purpose of heart…this is so important.
I’m going to get real with you in conclusion. I have had several counsel sessions with young men about different things in their lives that are drawing them away from God and into relationships or lifestyles that would be destructive. Whether it was something like drugs, girls, or just friends, I have tried pointing out to them the Biblical reasons why they should change their direction immediately. Many times they have agreed with what I have said, but their actions spoke a different story. They wanted to keep their options open, and they lost their hearts to sin in the process.
Purpose in your heart to be different. Give it all to God so He can guard your heart.