Title: Guard Your Heart!
Contents
Title: More Guard Your Heart! Text: Proverbs 4:20-27
Introduction] A person's character depends on the person's heart. The verse of Proverbs says, “For whatever the thoughts of his heart, so are the great men” (Proverbs 23:7). The state of his mind determines his present state and future.
1. How do you guard your heart?
1) A willful effort to reject the worldly: Our minds are like battlefields. The flesh tries to put the thoughts of the flesh, and the spirit tries to put the thoughts of the spirit (Romans 8:5,6). Our mind is not only the battlefield between the body and the soul, but also the battlefield between the Holy Spirit and evil spirits. Even if you are a born-again person, you need to know that the evil spirit continues to work to infiltrate from the outside. Which side we take depends on our own volitional decisions. We must always be alert and discern where the thoughts we are coming from are coming from. That is why you have to accept what you reject and accept, even if you don't like it.
2) Intellectual effort to hold onto the Word and live: We hear and receive countless Words. But why can't those words act as the source (seed) of blessings for us? Because we do not hold fast to the Word. It is an effort to receive the Word and keep it without forgetting it. The world we live in and our inner worldly greed are not so smooth. When we receive the Word, we need to pray so that it can take a firm place in our hearts like nails.
3) Emotional sensitivity to sin: David pleaded, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew in me an upright spirit” (Psalm 51:10). He repented of his wrongdoings and was forgiven, but he is asking for restoration of a clean and honest heart (the heart that was pure before he sinned). Once a person commits a sin, his heart is defiled to that extent, and it is easy to become emotionally insensitive. So David prayed to restore his former pure heart.
2. When should we guard our hearts?
1) When all goes well: When did David sin? After winning consecutive victories and occupying a large territory, it was time to send other generals to surround Rabbah, the city of the children of Ammon, without going to war. In all circumstances, it was a moment of blessing for David. It was then that David took Uriah's wife Bathsheba and sinned. When did King Uzziah sin? It is when you become strong (2 Chronicles 26:16). When all goes well, we have to be careful. Don't go beyond your limits.
2) When we are troubled by problems and difficulties: We have prosperous days and we also have difficult days (Ecclesiastes 7:14). God puts these two things together. However, when trouble comes, we should not be disappointed, discouraged, or discouraged. A person of true faith is a person who keeps his heart and holds on to the word of God and does not waver when faced with difficult situations.
Conclusion] Those who keep their hearts will not be shaken no matter what trials come. But keeping your heart is not an easy task. It's the fight of a lifetime. Don't even say things that deceive others. Don't even put on your lips anything that hurts others. Don't look away, just look straight ahead. Be careful with your steps. Do not take a single step aside, turn away from evil. This is the life of those who guard their hearts.