Jesus has done everything for us. literally everything. We are forgiven for all eternity. What He did on the cross and how He rose from the dead was enough and will always be enough. And now as followers of Jesus, let us remain loyal and faithful to God in all that we do. The sources of life… where someone thinks, feels and chooses do not come into our hearts from external circumstances, but rather flow from our hearts through the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day, what you do reveals your heart. Therefore, you must protect the heart The word says in: Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, because the sources of life spring from it.”
Jesus has already done everything for us and we are forgiven for all eternity. But it is our responsibility to stay on the right path and fill ourselves with the things that give us life spiritually and physically.
We recommend you read: Proverbs 4:23 – Above all things guarded, guard your heart.
Here are 7 ways to protect the heart:
1) Protect everything that comes in
Everything is competing for our time, money and resources. Just turn on the TV or go anywhere and you’ll quickly be hit with anything and everything that wants your attention. Music, videos, sex, books, language, power, money, and pride are just a few of many examples.
We need to use wisdom in what we allow in our hearts. We only have a limited time each day to do a lot of God, so what is it that is influencing us, listening or watching?
Train your eyes to look away from what is not from God. Listen to wisdom instead of madness. Protect yourself from harmful ways and from a culture that is anti-God and replace it with things that are uplifting. Your heart will then remain protected.
2) Persevere in the face of difficulties
The Difficulties will happen in this life. They have to. That is the product of a sinful world filled with sinful people. It is not a coincidence that God lines up multiple things for you to do as you follow him. Read the Bible daily, pray consistently, share the Gospel with others, and spend time in solitude with the Lord are just some of these things.
There will be times when you do not feel the presence of the Lord or feel that He is listening to your prayers. Persevere! Trust that He is always completing a good work in you. Believe that the Lord will prevail in all things. As you persevere, you will continue to grow spiritually and your heart will be strong.
3) Follow what the Lord is leading you to do
Each person is different. We all have different abilities and desires and that’s a good thing. God has intentionally made us different. He calls us to follow him in many different ways. Some of us will be pastors, teachers, paramedics, mothers, musicians, mechanics or writers.
What is God asking you to do? What do you want and what can’t you stop thinking about? How do you want to serve the Lord with that desire? Most likely, God is calling you to do that. Trust Him and go for it! The longer you satiate that desire, the more strain you are putting on your heart.
4) Cultivate an atmosphere of community
When we are sons and daughters of the only true King, we enter a family and are sent on a mission. This involves people. There is no way to follow Jesus in isolation, it doesn’t even make sense. If Jesus says that by following him, you will be part of the Church and make disciples… that doesn’t translate to – just have your personal, isolated relationship with me and you’ll be fine. We need people. We need community.
Your heart needs people to constantly pour out into you, and you need it to pour out into people. There’s a constant flow in and out as you love and serve to others. People need to hear about Jesus and you need grow in the Lord with your family with whom you will be for all eternity.
5) Keep Priorities High and Don’t Compromise
It’s wise keep our priorities. Of course, those have to be the right priorities to begin with, but nevertheless… maintaining them is a big problem. What can happen (and has happened to me many times) is that we let the day dictate our priorities instead of our priorities dictating the day.
God, our family (spouse, children, etc.), the job, is an example of an order of priorities to maintain throughout the day. What we might be tempted to do is lower one throughout the day or raise it too high. God could be the last thing on our list (we may not say that, but the way we live declares it), or we could elevate our children to “god” status.
Yes, we love and serve one another, but not to the point of compromising the priorities and values the Lord has given us. Once you make a little compromise here or there, you start adding toxicity to your heart. The good news is that if you keep them, your heart will grow in wisdom.
6) Trust in the Lord with rest
We live in a culture that is so fast-paced, chances are you’ve spent about 30 seconds on this page and then move on to the next. Productivity rises above all else and people are praised for doing things right. As we run like crazy, we often forget that this is bad for our hearts. We are also telling God we didn’t trust Him in the process.
When we rest in the Lord (including a full day off), we are declaring our dependence on him. We are admitting that we cannot make life on our own. If you think about it, your body needs to sleep a third of the time you are alive! Not only that, how do you think you fall asleep or wake up in the morning? That’s just for the Lord. Unless you need to just take a deep breath and let the Lord do the work for you, encourage yourself to trust Jesus and rest. Let your heart rest. The yoke is easy… the load is light. (Matthew 11:30)
You may be interested in reading: How to make correct decisions that are under the will of God
7) Preach the Gospel to yourself every day
The latter sums up all of the above and could not be more important. The Gospel is not just a “one time” thing and a ticket to heaven, but something we all need every day… really every minute. By the time we remove the eyes of the cross We forget who we really are. Our hearts need to be reminded that while we still sin, we are forgiven, redeemed, and we are children of God! Protecting the heart is important because life flows from it.
By starting your day with this true reminder, you will have no choice but to glorify God in everything you do. Questions: How do you protect your heart? Do you guard it with all vigilance? Please feel free to comment and leave both suggestions and testimonials that help build others in need. Blessings!!