Guard Your Heart
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. (NIV)
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life. (AMP)
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. (MSG)
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (NLT)
All too often, in Christianese circles, when we start talking about ourselves, guarding parts of us, or putting ourselves before others, we start to get squeamish and uncomfortable. Aren’t we supposed to die to ourselves and put everyone else before our own needs? Didn’t Jesus come to serve and not be served? Isn’t that Biblical? It is. To some extent. However, those Biblical truths often get twisted and manipulated for others’ personal agendas.
Guarding our hearts is biblical. If we guard our hearts, we are being wise and discerning. We are alert. We are protecting ourselves from harm. We are being good stewards. Guarding our hearts looks countless different ways and may look like establishing boundaries with certain people, limiting our social media usage, or working through past trauma in therapy.
Guarding our hearts enables us to overcome temptations and doubt. Guarding our hearts protects us from distractions. Guarding our hearts makes room for God’s divine strength and protection. Guarding our hearts enables us to stand in grace, in truth, and in love.
It’s biblical to guard our hearts. Allowing or putting ourselves in a position where others can mistreat or abuse us isn’t guarding our hearts. Those situations are not God-honoring. This may be in terms of a friendship, a boss, a family member, or even a spouse.
In terms of a marriage, yes, God may hate divorce, but He also hates when His beloved children are being mistreated. The church is quick to state that God hates divorce but is slow to affirm that God hates all evil. If you’ve felt pressure from a church, or even loved ones, to stay in a compromising situation, I’m so sorry this has been your experience. That’s not God’s desire for you.
[A note of caution from Dr. Jones: We don’t always have a quick escape route from the throes of abuse. It’s not always so simple to just leave the situation. If you need support or assistance due to current circumstance, please consider reaching out to a trusted friend, your local church, or contact one of the resources below.]
Let me proclaim loud and clear: Beloved Daughter, guard your heart. You are not being selfish. You are not being ungodly. You are worthy of taking the steps necessary or drawing the boundaries needed in order to do so. You are valuable. Your heart is worth protecting.
Be free,
Lani
GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment)
Website: netgrace.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Website: thehotline.org / Phone: 800.799.7233
Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network
Website: rainn.org / Phone: 800.656.HOPE (4673)
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Phone: 988
