Guard Your Heart

 What comes to mind when you hear these words? 

What do you think of when it comes to guarding your heart?

Proverbs 4:23 says,

"Guard your heart, because everything you do flows from it."

What comes to mind when you think about what this means for your life?

There's all sorts off situations that come to mind for what this means that you could be thinking of.

For a long time when I read this verse, I thought pretty much only about romantic relationships, because that's where I heard this verse used the most. It was a caution against getting too involved with someone until I was married to them.

That's part of it, but there is so much more involved.

The idea of heart here is everything that makes you you. Your will. Your intellect. Your mind. Your emotions. Your passions. Your motives. Your desires. All of that makes up who you are.

This is what we're being told to guard here, because it impacts how we live our lives.

What we do & how we do it is impacted by our hearts. The way we interact with people & form relationships is part of this - whether friendships or other. Even our relationship with God is impacted by this.

Because of how important our heart is to how we live, we're told to guard it. We need to pay close attention to what we're allowing to have influence in our hearts. We can't go through life unaware. It matters.

So, how are you doing at guarding your heart?

Are there things in your life that need to change?

Worship as the First Response

I probably don't spend enough time reading the Old Testament. In doing so, it can be easy to miss some of the incredible things God wants to show me & teach me. After all, He has it included in our Bibles for a reason.

I was reminded of this recently when a devotional I was reading began with a single verse from 2 Chronicles. I couldn't stop thinking about it the rest of the day - it just felt like there was more there. 

I took time to sit down & read the whole chapter. I was struck by how much there was in it that spoke to me & where I'm at right now.

What is your response when you're overwhelmed or afraid?

Do you frantically try to figure out what to do?

Or do you ask God for His help right away?

2 Chronicles 20 opens with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, receiving overwhelming & fearful news. He is told that Judah's enemies were coming against them.

Verses 3-4 say this in response:

"Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced that everyone in Judah should fast during this special time of prayer to God. The people of Judah came together to ask the Lord for help; they came from every town in Judah." (NCV)

Jehoshaphat's immediate response to this overwhelming & fearful news was to pray - to seek God's direction for what to do. And he invited the entire nation of Judah to join him in it.

In the following verses, we see the people of Judah gather as Jehoshaphat led them in prayer. His pray declared who God is & what their situation was. And Jehoshaphat ended with a statement of truth.

"We don't know what to do, so we look to You for help." (vs 12b, NCV)

He asked God exactly what he & the people of Judah needed.

Then they listened for God's response.

"Don't be afraid or discouraged because of this army. The battle is not your battle, it is God's . . . You won't need to fight this battle. Just stand strong in your places, & you will see the Lord save you. Judah & Jerusalem, don't be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow." (vs 15b, 17, NCV)

After they sought God, they had God's battle plan revealed. A plan that would have looked much different than anything they could have come up with on their own.

Their job was to stand firm as God's promise to fight for them, not try to fight themselves.

The next day, as they set out to do what God told them to do, they went forward with worship.

"Jehoshaphat listened to the people's advice. Then he chose men, to be signs to the Lord, to praise Him because He is holy & wonderful. As they march in front of the army, they said,

    'Thank the Lord,

    because His love continues forever'." (vs 21, NCV)

The army went forward worshipping God & saw God act powerfully on their behalf.

"As they began to sing & praise God, the Lord set ambushes to attack Ammon, Moab, & Edom who had come to attack Judah. And they were defeated." (vs 22, NCV)

Jehoshaphat & the army of Judah walked in trust of God - they stood firm in what they knew of God - & they saw victory happen God's way.

This was a powerful reminder for me in this season as I face my current battles, & deal with fear & overwhelm at what is coming toward me. My response should be turning to God to seek His plan for it all. And, as I stand firm in His plan & trust His ways, I can see the outcome God has planned. My job isn't to frantically worry & fear, & try to solve it myself. My job is prayer & worship & trusting God's plan.

What in your life is causing you fear & overwhelm?

Have you prayed about it?

Take time to admit to God you don't know what to do. 

Worship God in the midst of it - even if you don't see an answer yet. As we stand firm on God's truth & worship Him, we see God acting in ways we might otherwise have missed.

Lie #7: Single Adults Can't Talk to Married People of the Opposite Sex

 Lie #7: Single men & women should never talk to married men & women of the opposite sex because it has the appearance of evil.

This one is a tricky one. I'm just going to acknowledge that from the start.

But, I'm also going to state right away: something I need a man's perspective on something. And, if I can never talk to one who I know enough to value his perspective, where am I supposed to get that?

I'm not talking multiple, long, one-on-one conversations. That obviously crosses a line. But, a shorter conversation in a public space with other people around shouldn't be a problem, especially when the married person's spouse is aware & okay with it.

God created us different. We see things differently from the people around us. And sometimes that different perspective is needed. It's important we have space for it.

In our desire to avoid the appearance of anything evil, I think we're made something a problem that shouldn't be. We've actually taught people to be afraid of talking to someone of the opposite sex, rather than teaching them how to have healthy interactions. And we've made it an even bigger issue if one of the people is married & the other is single.

Instead of helping people have healthy boundaries with interactions with the opposite sex, we've done exactly the thing we accuse our culture of doing. We've sexualized everything about the interactions of a man & woman. Whether we intended to or not, we've told people - especially single women - that they are sexual objects & therefore cannot have a conversation with a man, because it will go places it should never go.

Maybe that sounds harsh to you, but it's something I've been told by multiple people in different settings over the years. It hurts every time I hear it, because I'm being reduced to a sexual object & my motives are being assumed to be impure without a second thought.

Remember, I'm talking about a conversation in the church foyer or other place where others are around - not a one-on-one conversation along. Sometimes, the conversation with the married person's spouse included, & always with their knowledge.

Instead of fear, let's learn to have healthy interactions with each other. Let's learn to respect & honour each other.