Guard your heart

We often hear this term, Guard your heart. But do all of us know what this really means? I thought that I knew what this term meant up until recently, and only thought of guarding your heart in respect of relationships.
But I believe when the bible tells us to guard our heart, this applies to every single area of our life. So, when you don’t really understand a certain term, what do you do? You go and seek knowledge, which is what I did. In this blog post, I want to share what I learnt because guarding our hearts in this life is paramount and there can be consequences if we fail to do so.

When we talk about guarding our heart, we are obviously not referring to our physical heart, although it is very important to take care of your heart also. But, I believe that the bible is referring to our inner man, in fact I call it our spiritual heart. When someone has a heart attack, the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. It is said that heart disease or heart attacks are caused by things such as smoking, obesity or a high fat diet.
What are you allowing into your spiritual life? What are you feeding yourself with spiritually? What does your spiritual diet look like? I believe there is such thing as a spiritual heart attack which could occur if we allow the wrong things to enter our spiritual life, which can also act as a hindrance or blockage to our growth. Remember, your heart is very valuable, so protect it.
Many people believe that because man cannot see what is in their heart, they do not need to make a constant effort to make their heart right or to ensure that their heart is being fed with the right things. Let me remind you of something today. God sees your heart! Whether man can see it or not, your main concern should be to please God and not man. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The word ‘guard’ is a verb and requires you to do something. So, you cannot fail to not do anything and expect your heart to be guarded. No, guarding your heart requires time and work.

Why should I guard my heart?

This is a very good question. As humans, if we do not understand why we should do something, then ultimately we will end up not doing it. I will share with you from the little knowledge I have gained on why we should guard our hearts, but I will encourage you to also do your research and go and seek knowledge on this topic which could change your life forever.
What we let into our heart is very important to the extent that it can direct our thoughts. Have you ever had those moments where you randomly get a wrong thought come into your mind, and instead of dismissing it immediately, you decide to dwell on it. Yes, so have I! This is the first reason we need to guard our hearts. From the shows we watch, to the things we listen to and even the things we read can all have an impact on our thoughts.
What thoughts are you allowing to come into your heart that you are constantly dwelling on? What thoughts do you have towards others, good or bad? What thoughts do you have towards yourself, positive or negative? For, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
Another reason that we need to guard our heart is because what is in our heart will eventually come out to light through the words we speak. If what is in your heart is negative, you will start to speak negatively. But, if what is in your heart is positive, positive words are likely to follow. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).
Think of your spiritual heart as a door to the most important room in your house. If you invite people over to your house, it is not everyone that will have access to this room, only those who you trust or are close with. You won’t let someone in who is going to come into your room and trash it. The same way, you are in charge of what you allow to enter into the door of your heart. Are you letting envy enter? Bitterness? Strife? Or are you even leaving the door wide open with no lock? To me, this is what guarding your heart means. It is using wisdom and knowing when to open that door and when to close it.

Not guarding our hearts can impact our words, our character and even our destiny. So, if it is so important to guard our hearts, how do we do this?

5 Ways to guard the heart

1. First, unclog and get rid of the wrong mindsets and things in your heart by separating yourself from the things which may be causing these mindsets. Once you have done this then start to be aware of the things which come into your heart and mind, and instead feed yourself with the right things
2. Set boundaries where needed and use wisdom in your decision making. If you know a certain action will leave your heart unguarded then don’t do it. If a certain decision is going to put you in a position of temptation, don’t compromise or put yourself in that position in the first place. This may be with people, the things we watch, the things we eat or drink and even the places that we go
3. Be fervent in the Word of God. This is where you gain wisdom on how to guard your heart. And the more you are filled with the Word, the less space for negative things to fill your heart. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee – Psalm 119:11).
4. Pray! This probably sounds obvious, but how often do we actually pray for God to help us guard our hearts? Many of us have probably never prayed this prayer. But prayer is the key! So, if you want to guard your heart, pray! Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit, as trust me you cannot do it alone
5. Have constant checks on the condition of your spiritual heart. This is your responsibility. Do not wait for something tragic to happen before you realise that something is wrong and that something needs to be done

And to sum everything up, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen.