Today I am going to take a look at a concept that I believe is neglected by my generation. As a young adult, I am sharing from experience and observation. The concept I am discussing is guarding your heart. My generation excels at many things, but guarding our heart is not one of them.
The scripture reference is Proverbs 4:23

This verse is well known, but how much do we practice it? Do we actively guard our heart? Do we believe it is in fact the wellspring of life? Do we even know how to guard our heart?
The answer for my generation is an emphatic “NO”. I’ve experienced the consequences of an unguarded heart. I’ve observed the damage done to close friends due to unguarded hearts. It is not a pretty sight. Christians and Non-Christians struggle with this concept.

With that being said, I want to examine the condition of an unguarded heart.
An unguarded heart is just that, not guarded. Easily harmed.
Question- Would you leave your most valuable possession unguarded for an extended period of time?…Yeah, didn’t think so. So why do we do it with our heart? The Bible says ABOVE ALL ELSE guard your heart. Let me give a few examples before I answer the question-

1) Unguarded heart in a relationship 
In a dating relationship it looks something like this-
Boy meets girl and there is a “spark”. Commonly called chemistry. A short amount of time passes and the boy and girl are communicating openly about everything. More time passes and the two individuals begin to date. By this time, serious connections are being made. Then, the breaking point is reached. The spark fade and the relationship ends. Regardless of who ended the relationship, both hearts are wounded. The depth of the wound will have a direct connection to the depth of their connection. Both individuals move on, but in most cases they carry the wound for a long time, and also into their next relationship.

(Notice the use of “boy” and “girl” in that example. A point I want to make is that a Man will protect his heart and the heart of the Woman he pursues.)

2) Simple imagery- 
Imagine taking two whole pieces of play doh and sticking them together, and after a time, ripping them apart. Now, imagine doing that over and over again. What happens? Well, our once pure piece of play doh is now littered with several other pieces of play doh and pieces of it are missing.

This is how my generation does relationships. We attach our heart over and over again just to get it tainted over time by failed relationships.

Back to the question- Why do we leave our heart unguarded?
I think there are two main reasons-

1) We dont believe our heart is that valuable
2) We dont know how to guard our heart

When addressing these points, the first thing that comes to mind is Hosea 4:6a

 Much like my previous post on Men, I am seeking to answer the question- “What does the world say a woman is?”

What are the attributes that define a woman? What are some things that all women should strive to be? What is their role in society? Etc etc.

I do not claim to be an expert on women, but this post is more about analyzing what the world says, not what I say.

So here we go- What does the world say a woman is?

The primary sources for this particular post will be http://www.cosmopolitan.com/ and http://www.womenshealthmag.com/.

I feel that these are both adequate sources for what I am trying to do.  The following list is by no means exhaustive, but it does capture the observations that I made by viewing the aforementioned sources-

1. Beauty– Beauty is an important topic for women. Beauty is a feminine trait. Beautiful women are admirable and most desirable. Beauty is predominantly based on outward appearance.
2. Fashion– Fashion is also important. It is tied to Beauty. They are topics that are dependent on each other. Fashion is a key component in popularity and value. It is an expression of status.
3. Independence– An independent woman is attractive. Women should be self sufficient but also exude an attitude of independence. Anything that would inhibit independence is looked down on.
4. Sexual Prowess– Sexual prowess is something every woman should strive for. Sex is a common activity in relationships.
5. Fitness/Health– Women should be fit. Losing weight is a common theme and staying thin is important. Fitness and health are tied to Beauty of course.

That is all for now. Moving on to Part 4-Truth.

 The question I am seeking to answer in this entry is “What does the world say a man is?”

What makes a man: great, strong, powerful,  and attractive?

If you are reading this, then I challenge you with this question- What lies have you believed about men? What do you think a man is?

Because here is the reality- We are constantly bombarded with messages to the point that we become numb to what we are seeing, hearing, believing etc. And in this assault of lies, we inevitably accept some of the lies as truth. This is convicting for me (as many of my blogs are) because at some point or another, I have probably accepted these lies as truth.

Disclaimer- While reading this, I imagine you will tell yourself- “I dont believe this, no way.” But the question I submit to you is this- Do your actions match your stated beliefs? Consider that as we evaluate what the world says about a man.

Here we go- What does the world say a man is?

My research on this was very simple. I simply typed “Men” into the search bar. I came to a very popular website. http://www.askmen.com/

 Ive made some observations based off of AskMen.

1. Power- Power is a masculine attribute. Powerful men are important. Power is something a man should strive for. Power comes from position, influence and money.
2. Sex- Sex is nothing more than a recreational activity that is a common act between people, whether they are in a relationship or not. Men are encouraged to hone their sexual skills and conquer as many women as they so choose. Sexual urges are normal and they should not be inhibited in any way.
3. Health and Sports- The world praises athletes. Our culture glorifies exceptional athletes. Men that have athletic prowess are generally highly regarded. Fitness is also very important. Men are expected to be in great shape.
4. Money-  Money means everything, especially for men. A man that makes a lot of money is very successful.
5. Cars- Nice cars symbolize success and status.
6. Celebrities- Celebrities are the ultimate measuring stick for a man. They have money, power, and status.
7. Fashion- Fashion is just another way to show that we are wealthy or powerful. How we dress determines the type of man that we are.

 This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is more than adequate. Now,  moving on to Part 3- Women.