What does it mean to guard your heart as a Christian? This question has been asked throughout the ages, and it remains relevant today. Christianity teaches that our hearts are of utmost importance, and we should do everything we can to protect them. What steps can we take to safeguard our hearts?
We will explore this topic in-depth and learn how to truly guard our hearts in this post.
What does it mean to guard your heart?
As Christians, we are called to protect our hearts from the world’s influences. We must be careful not to let the things of this world take control of our hearts and fill them with bitterness, anger, and hatred. Instead, we need to fill our hearts with love, joy, and peace.
Guarding our hearts also means protecting our thoughts. We need to be careful what we allow ourselves to think about. Our thoughts can quickly become filled with worry, stress, and anxiety. So we need to learn how to control our thoughts and focus on the positive.
Finally, guarding our hearts also means protecting our relationships. We need to be careful about the types of relationships we get into and make sure that they are healthy and positive. In essence, we need to be careful who we let into our lives.
What does God say about guarding your heart?
In Proverbs 4:23, God says that we should guard our hearts above all else. He knows that our hearts are important and can be easily filled with negativity if we’re not careful.
Reasons Why You Must Guard Your Heart
Here are three reasons why you must guard your heart with all seriousness.
1. Protects your character
One of the most important reasons to guard your heart is that it protects your character. When our hearts are filled with love, joy, and peace, we are more likely to act Christ-like. But when our hearts are filled with bitterness, anger, and hatred, we are more likely to act sinfully.
2. Serves as a witness to others
Another important reason to guard your heart is that it serves as a witness to others. When we have our hearts protected, it shows that we are serious about our faith and that we will not let the negative influences of this world take control of us. It also shows people that they can trust us.
3. It affects our decisions.
Finally, it’s important to guard our hearts because it affects our decision-making. When our hearts are in line with the Word of God and his plans for our lives, we will make wise decisions. But when our hearts are in the wrong place, dwelling on the wrong things, we are more likely to make foolish decisions.
How to Guard Your Heart
1. Focus On Jesus
One of the best ways to guard your heart is to focus on Jesus. When we keep our eyes on him, we are less likely to be led astray by the things of this world. We need to make sure that our relationship with Christ is our number one priority and that we are spending time with him every day.
2. Watch what you think.
Another way to guard your heart is to be careful about what we allow ourselves to think about. We need to learn how to control our thoughts and focus on the positive. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
3. Be careful of what and who you listen to.
We also need to be careful about what and who we listen to. Ensure that you listen to people who will build you up and not tear you down because evil communication corrupts good manners.
4. Reject What Is Not True
Another way to guard your heart is to reject what is not true. We need to be on our guard against false teaching and false doctrine. We need to make sure that we are reading the Bible for ourselves and that we are not just blindly following what someone else says.
5. Remember Your Identity in Christ
You need to remember your identity in Christ. Knowing who we are in Christ makes it easier to guard our hearts. Remember that we are children of God and that he has chosen us. Remind yourself that he loves you and has a plan for your life.
6. Pray
Finally, we need to pray. We need to ask God to help us guard our hearts. We need to ask him to give us wisdom and discernment. We need to ask him to help us focus on him and not on the things of this world.
Conclusion
As Christians, we need to guard our hearts against the negative influences of this world. Only then can we truly live lives that are pleasing to God.
Guarding our hearts allows us to focus on Jesus, reject false teaching, remember our identity in Christ, and make wise decisions. It also serves as a witness to others and protects our character. So let us be diligent in guarding our hearts!
