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Why Should We Guard Our Hearts?

Why Should We Guard Our Hearts?

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Why Should We Guard Our Hearts?

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  1. Why Should We Guard Our Hearts? 20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil (Proverbs 4:20-27, NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life

  2. As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. (Proverbs 27:19, NLT) A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. (Luke 6:45, NLT) We try to excuse ourselves in those situations, saying, “That’s not who I really am!”

  3. A glance turned into a stare, That stare turned into a thought, That thought turned into a desire, That desire turned into an action— He had an adulterous relationship with a married woman. How Do We Guard Our Hearts? 20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. (Proverbs 4:20-22, NLT)

  4. He says that we must allow God’s instructions to penetrate our hearts. 22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:22-25, NLT)

  5. In other words, we must be careful who and what we allow to influence us. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27, NLT) These verses remind us to pay attention to where we are going. The first way is by learning to listen to the Word of God.

  6. The second thing is to do a self-evaluation. Am I being prideful? Am I more concerned with myself than with others? Am I harboring bitterness? Is there some hurt that I am holding on to that I should let go of? Is there someone I should forgive that I refuse to? Is there someone who makes my blood boil every time I see them? If so, what do I need to do to remedy that?

  7. Am I being dishonest? Do I accurately represent myself, with the things I do, or the way I describe other people? Am I honest not only in what I say to others, but in what I say to myself? What thoughts am I allowing to take up residence in my mind? What kinds of things am I dwelling on? Am I entertaining lustful thoughts, greedy thoughts, jealous thoughts, or angry thoughts? If so, work at dwelling on thoughts that please God rather than these sinful thoughts—sinful thoughts become sinful actions.

  8. Am I really seeking to honor the Lord in my life, or am I simply going through the motions? Am I just “playing church”and giving lip-service to God, or am I really seeking to serve Him in the way I live my life? Is God truly first, or are there other things that are more important to me than He is? Look at how you spend your time, money, and energy and see if you can honestly say that He is first. If not, ask what you need to do to change your priorities.

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