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Guarding Our Heart!

  A few weeks ago, my own pastor did a teaching on guarding our hearts.  He did an outstanding job and opened my eyes to some new truths about myself, but, I just couldn't put out of my mind the teaching.  So, I started searching and asking God questions.  What would the world look like if everyone started to pay attention to what we fill ourselves up on?  You know, 25 years ago, you would never have heard of children taking guns to school to kill others just because they were teased, but you hear that all the time know.  Why is that?

 Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." NIV

  The Bible has a lot to say to us about the condition of our heart.  Not the flesh heart that we know, but the heart that is the real us.  The heart that the Bible reefers to is who we are.  It is what makes us operate in our world.  Many of us have spent years filling our hearts with things that most of us would not wish upon others, and most of us do it unintentionally.  But what about the things that we do to our hearts intentionally?

  The verse above tells us to be careful of what we pour into ourselves.  If we spend enough time polluting our heart with the garbage of the world, pretty soon our lives will start to reflect that same garbage.  Jesus spoke to us quiet a few times about forgiveness.  God tells us that we will be forgiven as we forgive, but, that is not the only reason we are to forgive.  Unforgiveness can give birth to bitterness, which in turn gives birth to anger, hate, frustration, all sorts of bad.  James tells us in chapter 1 and verse 20 that our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  If we allow our heart to be polluted with bitterness, pretty soon our lives will reflect that same bitterness.  The same is true with doubt, fear, despair, self-loathing.  If we fill up our hearts with these sorts of things, everything in our life will flow out from what is inside of us. 

  It is no wonder that we see the sorts of things happening in society today that make us sad or ashamed.  Listen to the radio, turn the television on and we become bombarded with all sorts of wickedness and filth.  And, given enough time, our lives will start to reflect what we have been pouring into ourselves. 

  I hear all the time that to walk as Jesus did, to be holy as God is holy, is impossible.  True, it is difficult, but not impossible.  God tells us in 2 Peter 1 verse 3 that "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." NIV.   In other words, it is through our own choices that we walk a life that is fulfilled and righteous, or empty and wicked.  There will be storms in our life, we cannot ignore that or pretend that storms will not happen, but the way that we respond in those moments of trial will reflect what is stored up in our hearts.  God have given us all we need to live, and it starts by filling ourselves up on His Word.  How many of us actually spend quality time in His Word? 

  Our heart is a reflection of our choices.  Choices that include what we listen to, watch and partake in.  And many of us are very lazy on what we choose to pour into ourselves.  The up side is that it is not to late to change our hearts, and it starts by acknowledging to ourselves and our Lord that we have allowed our heart to be filled up with things that do not bring Him glory, and do not reflect Him in our lives.  If you find yourself in this place, confess that you are living based upon what is stored up in you, then take the steps necessary to empty yourself of all that is wicked and start filling up on all that is good, true, and holy.  Do you really need to watch that t.v. show, or would the time better be spent on reading the Word?  The thing we most need to remember is that we are all responsible for the condition of our heart.  Not God, our spouse, parents, kids, no one but us.  And only we can make the changes, not even our Lord can change our hearts.  That is up to us!

  O Lord Almighty, please help us to make our hearts right in Your sight!

Harold Trent

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