Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
This verse suggests the heart is the origination point for life. Not the breathing, “heart-beating,” check my pulse kind of life, in fact, much more than that. Many, like me, have always determined that the essence of who I am as a human being originates in my mind. What do I think about? What do I spend time considering? After all, we’ve all heard the phrase . . . garbage in-garbage out!
But what if . . . what if it’s not in the mind at all? What if the words I speak, the thoughts I hold captive, the places my feet and hands take me are all a result not of my mind through decision but instead out of my heart?
Solomon was clearly onto something when he remarked on the power and nature of the heart. It’s roots into the life we live is not only deep, but sustaining. Tapping into this understanding and recognizing the activity of our heart assures us of the freedom of Christ to flow through all we do.
But what happens when belief drives behavior, not from how we think, but instead because it’s rooted in our heart? Ouch! Can that change? Can the heart heal? The answer is an absolute, YES! Guarding the heart from belief and behavior, good or bad, is critical from keeping our life from a spiritual intensive care.
The heart is a complex spiritual muscle. It requires a constant check — a guard.
Lord Jesus, the heart and mind are strangely difficult to decipher. Jeremiah even questioned who could possibly understand it. While from the heart I realize springs life, it is true too, that it is the root from which all things in me find life. I know when rooted in you, life flows freely!
He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord. II Chronicles 12:14
© 2012-2013 Mark Cruver. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder.