“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23, NLT)
When you do Bible study, it is important to understand what you are reading. Some scriptures can use language that is so esoteric or flowery or unclear, that their meaning in your life is not immediately apparent. Proverbs 4:23 in the NRSV states that you should “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” What does it mean to “keep your heart”? What are the “springs of life”? I looked at ten different versions of the Bible to figure this verse out. In the end, I appreciated the way that the New Living Translation of the Bible translated this verse. Instead of asking you to “keep your heart”, it suggested “guard your heart”. In today’s vernacular, I think this adds to the meaning. According to this reading, my heart needs guarding. And to what end? That is also clarified by the NLT… “guard your heart…. for it determines the course of your life”. This sounds very important to me. This verse of the Bible urges you to guard your heart so that the direction of your life may go well.
In the Old Testament times, the heart was the seat of thought. It wasn’t usually considered just a thing that beat in your chest. It was the place where your emotions and feelings were worked out. The mind was a place of knowledge and wisdom and learning. But the heart was where one’s knowledge was brought to play through emotions, experiences, reminiscences, and feelings. The heart would determine what you felt was right and wrong, good and bad, hurtful or helpful. The mind would influence the heart, but the thoughts of one’s heart could overpower the wisdom of one’s mind. In the same way that you can do something wrong even while you know what is right, the heart can overrule the mind’s wisdom and knowledge in any given situation. The heart, being the seat of thought, is very important in determining the fate of your life.
Joanne had a big heart. She was thoughtful and constantly helped others. She was highly empathetic and easy to talk with. If you wanted to be encouraged, you sought out Joanne. If you wanted a smile or a hug, Joanne was the person to visit. However, Joanne’s big heart had one fatal flaw: her wayward son Jeremy. He was constantly in trouble. In High School, he was often put on detention for one infraction or another. He got into fights and was often the source of contention. Joanne’s best friend described Jeremy to me as “a kid who was one step away from a life of crime”.
During Jeremy’s senior year in High School, he arrived drunk at a dance. His speech was slurred, and he was itching for conflict. An hour later, he got into a fight in the school parking lot. Police were called, and Jeremy was arrested. In the weeks that followed, Jeremy was arraigned at court. Because Joanne got him the best lawyer in town, Jeremy got off with a lot of warnings. He paid a small fine and nothing more seemed to come of his arrest. However, over the next two years, Jeremy repeatedly was arrested. Each time, Joanne felt it important to step in and fix things for him. This caused a lot of contention in her family and among her friends. The friends saw Jeremy as a bully who manipulated his mother into getting out of all his missteps. Joanne saw herself as a good mother who kept her son out of jail and kept his record clear.
Three years after his first arrest, Jeremy died in a car accident. He was racing on a highway, lost control of his car and hit a tree at 80 mph. People tried desperately to comfort Joanne, but her heart was broken. Her smile was gone. Her rosy cheeks weren’t as noticeable as her many worry lines. She aged ten years within months. Many say that Jeremy’s death not only destroyed his mother but wrecked her marriage and friendships. Today, Joanne is a lonely woman, with bad memories and regrets that eat at her peace. She no longer is sought out for her smile or warmth or big heart.
I believe that people like Joanne fail at keeping the meaning of Proverbs 4:23. They do not guard their heart. They have a big heart when life goes well, but that heart is easily damaged by wrong thoughts that can mess up life. Joanne, for example, placed her love of her son above what was right by God. Her son deserved punishment and strict control. He was a danger to himself and others. However, Joanne’s big heart thought her son could be saved by giving him everything he needed, including lawyers to get him off the hook and comfort when he needed correction. Joanne did not guard her heart from the person who could hurt her most deeply. Now, she is praying the price and will be for the rest of her life.
You can know what is right but refuse to do it. You can know right from wrong but be manipulated or goaded into making a mistake. Your emotions can push you to react one way when your mind knows it is the wrong path. Your heart is the seat of your thoughts. If your heart strays from God, is too concerned about appearances, or cares more about looks than character, it will corrupt your decision-making. It will take you down roads you don’t want to go. I’ve met those who were highly intelligent but whose anger made them reckless. There are young people who want desperately to fit in, so they do what was wrong in order to make friends. I’ve met people with hard hearts who were evil. I’ve met people with soft hearts who let themselves be controlled. There are millions of people who run away to get married ignoring the risks involved. There are billions of ways that you can fail to guard your heart and mess up your life. The best way to guard that heart is to invite God to be in there, watching over your decisions, guiding your choices. Life will always involve risk. Just make sure your heart is right before you take that leap!
Look to God’s Spirit and scripture to help guide your heart. Don’t let emotions take control over your life. Wisdom and knowledge are great, but the heart can negate all your learning with just a few bad thoughts or ideas. Don’t forget that your heart needs guarding. I wouldn’t let another person be responsible for this. Let God’s Spirit in your heart to direct your steps. Be careful who you listen to and trust. Be watchful over your heart. It will “determine the course of your life” without a doubt (Proverbs 4:23).
In the Old Testament times, the heart was the seat of thought. It wasn’t usually considered just a thing that beat in your chest. It was the place where your emotions and feelings were worked out. The mind was a place of knowledge and wisdom and learning. But the heart was where one’s knowledge was brought to play through emotions, experiences, reminiscences, and feelings. The heart would determine what you felt was right and wrong, good and bad, hurtful or helpful. The mind would influence the heart, but the thoughts of one’s heart could overpower the wisdom of one’s mind. In the same way that you can do something wrong even while you know what is right, the heart can overrule the mind’s wisdom and knowledge in any given situation. The heart, being the seat of thought, is very important in determining the fate of your life.
Joanne had a big heart. She was thoughtful and constantly helped others. She was highly empathetic and easy to talk with. If you wanted to be encouraged, you sought out Joanne. If you wanted a smile or a hug, Joanne was the person to visit. However, Joanne’s big heart had one fatal flaw: her wayward son Jeremy. He was constantly in trouble. In High School, he was often put on detention for one infraction or another. He got into fights and was often the source of contention. Joanne’s best friend described Jeremy to me as “a kid who was one step away from a life of crime”.
During Jeremy’s senior year in High School, he arrived drunk at a dance. His speech was slurred, and he was itching for conflict. An hour later, he got into a fight in the school parking lot. Police were called, and Jeremy was arrested. In the weeks that followed, Jeremy was arraigned at court. Because Joanne got him the best lawyer in town, Jeremy got off with a lot of warnings. He paid a small fine and nothing more seemed to come of his arrest. However, over the next two years, Jeremy repeatedly was arrested. Each time, Joanne felt it important to step in and fix things for him. This caused a lot of contention in her family and among her friends. The friends saw Jeremy as a bully who manipulated his mother into getting out of all his missteps. Joanne saw herself as a good mother who kept her son out of jail and kept his record clear.
Three years after his first arrest, Jeremy died in a car accident. He was racing on a highway, lost control of his car and hit a tree at 80 mph. People tried desperately to comfort Joanne, but her heart was broken. Her smile was gone. Her rosy cheeks weren’t as noticeable as her many worry lines. She aged ten years within months. Many say that Jeremy’s death not only destroyed his mother but wrecked her marriage and friendships. Today, Joanne is a lonely woman, with bad memories and regrets that eat at her peace. She no longer is sought out for her smile or warmth or big heart.
I believe that people like Joanne fail at keeping the meaning of Proverbs 4:23. They do not guard their heart. They have a big heart when life goes well, but that heart is easily damaged by wrong thoughts that can mess up life. Joanne, for example, placed her love of her son above what was right by God. Her son deserved punishment and strict control. He was a danger to himself and others. However, Joanne’s big heart thought her son could be saved by giving him everything he needed, including lawyers to get him off the hook and comfort when he needed correction. Joanne did not guard her heart from the person who could hurt her most deeply. Now, she is praying the price and will be for the rest of her life.
You can know what is right but refuse to do it. You can know right from wrong but be manipulated or goaded into making a mistake. Your emotions can push you to react one way when your mind knows it is the wrong path. Your heart is the seat of your thoughts. If your heart strays from God, is too concerned about appearances, or cares more about looks than character, it will corrupt your decision-making. It will take you down roads you don’t want to go. I’ve met those who were highly intelligent but whose anger made them reckless. There are young people who want desperately to fit in, so they do what was wrong in order to make friends. I’ve met people with hard hearts who were evil. I’ve met people with soft hearts who let themselves be controlled. There are millions of people who run away to get married ignoring the risks involved. There are billions of ways that you can fail to guard your heart and mess up your life. The best way to guard that heart is to invite God to be in there, watching over your decisions, guiding your choices. Life will always involve risk. Just make sure your heart is right before you take that leap!
Look to God’s Spirit and scripture to help guide your heart. Don’t let emotions take control over your life. Wisdom and knowledge are great, but the heart can negate all your learning with just a few bad thoughts or ideas. Don’t forget that your heart needs guarding. I wouldn’t let another person be responsible for this. Let God’s Spirit in your heart to direct your steps. Be careful who you listen to and trust. Be watchful over your heart. It will “determine the course of your life” without a doubt (Proverbs 4:23).