9 March 2025

GUARD YOUR HEART

(Biblical & Spiritual Exhortations: BSE 2)

Wise King Solomon exhorts: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov.4:23-NIV). The NLT: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”. Notice the words, “Above all else” – which means nothing is more important than this. The reason is also given: “It is the wellspring of your life…for it determines the course of your life”. What our life will be come – good or bad, succeed or failure, blessed or cursed – depends on how we “guard” our heart! So let us “guard” our heart carefully!

The Bible tells us that “God looks on the heart” (1 Sam.16:7) to determine how He may bless and use us for His divine purpose. Jeremiah tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things…I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to what their deeds deserve” (17:9-10). Thus, it is so important for us to search our heart daily to examine our inner motives, desires and attitudes honestly before God. King David prayed wisely, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psa.139:23-24 -KJV). May this be our daily prayer.

At the end of the day, what matters to God most is the attitude of our heart in our relationship with Him and our fellowmen, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Hence, He commands us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Notice the four “all’s” – which means we are to wholeheartedly and devotedly love and serve God. He demands our total devotion because He is our God and Redeemer. Not to do so is blatant disobedience.

In addition to loving God, we are also to “love your neighbor as yourself”. Our neighbor is one near us, and also one in need, according to Christ’s Teaching in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). However, Christ raised the standard higher, when He commanded us to “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). In other words, we are to love others as Jesus loves. The Apostle John tells us why we must love one another: “Let us love one another; for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 Jn 4:7-8).

The Apostle Paul tells us that there three most important virtues in life: “Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love” (1 Cor.13:13). We can do all the things we consider good or spiritual, but if it is not done out of Love then these have no value in the sight of God. They are just “nothing” to God. That is why Paul tells us that it is“the Love of Christ which compels us” in everything we do (2 Cor.5:14).

So, it begs the question: “Why are we doing what we are doing?” The answer should of course be always: “Because of Jesus and His Love in me”. AMEN.

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