Protect Your Heart

I have heard this phrase a lot. "Protect your heart." It is told to girls often to remind them not to get too attached too soon in relationships. I guess that's good advice too, but, it's actually a Bible verse: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23).

This post is the tie-in to yesterday's post about building walls. As soon as she mentioned it, I knew I had to do a post about it. Only, my idea is different from her point.

So, we have established that we have to guard our hearts. This verse has been warped to mean that we have to be careful of who we let into our hearts. I agree, in a way, but I don't mean people. At least, not most of the time. We have to be mindful of the types of thoughts that enter our heart, because if the wrong thoughts get in, it paves the way for Satan to enter.

My thought, then, was this: we need to build walls around our hearts. We have to place each stone carefully, and with purpose. I thought of the stone metaphor because it's what I think of when I think of walls. Each "stone" should consist of something that makes us stronger in God - Bible verses, worship songs, even lessons that have brought us closer to Him.

We need this wall, so that when the enemy comes against us (another tie-in!) we can take a piece of that stone and rock him in the head. Figuratively. We need to build this wall firmly and decisively. Then, we need to tend the wall, and keep it in good order. As soon as a crack appears, mend it. If someone caused the crack and you can't let it go just by talking to God about it, talk to the person about it. Just don't leave the crack. You've heard "Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile." Well, that's true also of Satan. If there is even a centimeter-wide crack in your wall, he will chip and chip and chip away until he has enough room to slither in.

My wall has never been very strong. I love worship songs, and I've always had plenty of those stones. But for a long time, I ignored reading my Bible, and I'm learning that that is the most important thing we can do. The Bible is God's Word! It has been with Him from the very beginning! It's not just a bunch of rules to follow (though those are there too). It's also filled with God's promises and the wonderful things He has done, and will do! So, the more we read and study The Word, the more stones we have to protect us from the enemy! How amazing!