Tag Archives: Faith

Proverbs 4:23: Guarding Your Heart

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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.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
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 fades 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 do his best to 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 do not believe our heart is that valuable
2) We do not know how to guard our heart

 

The Bible is true, yes, we believe that. But do we believe that it is sufficient? We must be absolutely convicted that the Bible is sufficient. All of the truth that we need is found in the Bible.
Because if we do not believe the Bible is sufficient, then we will find “truth” in the world.
Find truth in the Word, not the world.
Next point- Not knowing how to guard our heart is not an excuse. Learn. Seek guidance. See what the Bible has to say about the issue. My answer to the question of how to guard your heart centers around Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
The answer is simple: Allow Christ to guard your heart.
If your heart is wounded, allow Him to restore it. Make His Word the manual by which you live your life.
Believe what the Bible says- Your heart is valuable, guard it ABOVE ALL ELSE. 

Do Not Be Deceived: Men

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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/

I have 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 Women.

Do Not Be Deceived…

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Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

This particular blog series has been on my mind for over a month now. I have struggled with it, but I finally committed to tackling the subject head on. The topic for this particular series is deception. Mainly, the lies that are promoted by the world. My focus will be on lies that are told to males and females throughout their entire life. The title is derived from 1 Corinthians 15:33. A simple verse, yes, but I think their is power in the simplicity of this verse.

Lets start with some fundamental truths- 

Satan is the Father of Lies
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 
John 8:44
Satan is Ruler of the World
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
John 12:31
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4
World Stands in Opposition to Biblical Truth
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 
Ephesians 6:12

Without going into too much detail, some topics discussed in this series will be:

  • Beauty
  • Masculinity/Femininity
  • Identity

And much, much more.