Guard your heart!

Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it determines the course of your life!"

This divine exhortation penetrates to the very core of Christian living. The "heart" in Scripture is not merely the seat of emotion, but the center of a person's being--the mind, will, affections, and conscience. It is from the heart that all of our thoughts arise, all of our choices are made, and all of our desires take shape. Therefore, to guard the heart is to diligently watch over the whole inner man, to protect it from corruption, and to keep it fixed on what is holy and true.

Solomon, under the inspiration of the Spirit, gives this command, "above all else!" This signals its supreme importance. The external life, cannot rise above the internal condition. Outward behavior is the fruit; the heart is the root. As Jesus declared, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). If the fountain is polluted, the stream will be defiled. If the heart is impure, so will be the thoughts, words, and actions.

Why must the heart be so closely guarded? Because it is constantly under attack--from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Satan knows that if he can gain entrance to the heart, he can influence the whole course of life. Therefore, the believer must post a sentinel at every gate--what we see, what we hear, what we dwell upon in secret thought. We must take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ! (2 Corinthians 10:5)

To guard the heart is not a call to stoicism, but to spiritual vigilance. It means . . .
treasuring what is pure,
meditating on God's Word,
delighting in Christ,
confessing sin promptly,
and depending moment by moment