Guard Your Heart

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life,” Proverb 4:23.

It’s a tough world out there, full of nasty thoughts, words, and images. It’s a world that’s becoming more and more counter to all the Bible speaks of that’s good and right and pure. But in such a world, how can we guard our hearts?

For me, I have chosen to be careful what I see, hear, and read. While others can casually watch a rated “R” movie and not be affected, it’s just not so with me. Images cling to my brain and replay in my sleep. Whether it’s scary, violent, or sexually explicit, I can’t get them out of my mind. So, to guard my heart and mind, I don’t let them in.

The same goes for music and literature. I’ve learned that if it’s not good and right and pure, I leave it for others to engage with. Please know that I’m not shaking my finger at anyone who chooses otherwise; I’m just saying that, for me, I have chosen to be careful to guard my heart with my media consumption.

But that’s not the only area of life where I guard my heart. It’s also in my attitudes and actions, and how I choose to accept or respond to the attitudes and actions of others. It’s also important for me to guard my heart in my writing life—to surround myself with encouragers, to balance my writing, to pour out life.

One person can poison my well with negative or critical attitudes if I let them. Another can hurt me by their words or actions. And I can do the same to them, if I’m not careful. Though I can’t be responsible for how others treat me or how they respond to a certain situation, I can make a choice to guard my heart. I hope you will too.

How do you guard your heart?