Guard Your Heart

In my last post Where to start training I spoke about picking a principle and exercising it. Perhaps you are finding that harder than it sounds.. then here is something that will be common to everyone.

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)

If you want to grow in your godliness, then you must be aware of the importance of your heart. Luke shows us the repercussion of not protecting your heart.. and the rewards of doing so.

45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 (ESV)

Try as you might, what occupies your heart will come out.

So, the heart is somewhat of a battle field for us, what are we to do to keep it safe - so that we will naturally produce good.. and not the evil that we are so easily inclined.

Thankfully, we don’t need to guess at this as Paul addresses this in his letter to the Philippians.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:4-8 (ESV)

Paul calls us to a few actions, and in there lies the promise that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.

But further to that Paul does not stop at telling us how to guard our hearts, in vs 8 he goes on to tell us how to feed the heart, so that we would fill it up with “good treasure”, and that is what we choose to think about.

And as a nice final reminder, in vs 9 it goes onto say that we need to put this into practise…

9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:9 (ESV)

Then the God of peace, that protects your heart and mind will be with you.