Guard Your Heart

My mom, an incredible woman who loves and fears the Lord, always taught me growing up that what went into you is what would come out of you. Whether that was food, music, words (your own or others), thoughts, ideas, social media, television, movies, etc. The list could probably continue for another few lines, but I think the point is clear. When she said that she meant that what you hear is what you will begin to believe and think to be true. This is demonstrated clearly with our need to be on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. These vices are constantly throwing information at us in all forms. We begin to think certain people are right because they have approval from others. We begin to compare our lives to others because we think they have it together. We begin to believe the lie that we do not have it good enough or we do not have the right job. There are many things wrong with going to social media when you are down or just tired. 

Solomon in this Proverb has already warned us about being friends with those who practice evil. He says to avoid them altogether. Then he makes this short profound statement that the best way to do all these things is to guard your heart. On the surface this sounds reasonable. But when you begin trying to do it, especially in our world, this task can seem overwhelming, even impossible. Everywhere you look you are getting told what to believe. News stations, movies, and social media are all telling you how to get into shape, how to raise your kids, how to read your Bible, or how to get rich quick. While not all these things are all that bad, when we allow anything besides the word of God into our mind, and ultimately, our hearts we are not guarding our heart well. 

What might it look like to guard your heart? Well first off, I would say Joshua 1:8 gives really good advice to believers. It reads “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” Psalm 119:11 says, “your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Lastly, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God gives us a way out whenever we are tempted. All this scripture tells us that the best way to guard our heart is to saturate it with scripture. If we put in junk food to our bodies, we will begin to grow tired and weak. If we do not nourish our spiritual bodies, we will succumb to the evil one and let him win. Feed your heart the goodness and truth of scripture and you will begin to see the difference in how you guard your heart daily. 

So how are you guarding your heart today?

Cody R

  ’96 / ’08  Jacksonville FL

Doris Jean H

’44 / ’55 Manheim PA