Protect Your Heart

Steven’s Scribbles
“Protect your Heart”
Proverbs 4:23
    
    There is much we can learn about our hearts from scripture. We know that some obeyed the Gospel because their heart’s were pricked (Acts 2:37). We know The Hebrew writer warns christians against hardening their hearts (Heb. 3:6-8). We need to protect our hearts. Often when we sin the first defense we go to is, “Only God knows my heart,” and that may not be true. The proverbial writer told us “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” We see the warning to watch over or guard our hearts, but look at the next phrase, “Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you” (Prov. 4:23-24). It seems the warning for guarding one’s heart is directly related to speech. Evil speech, profanity, or dirty jokes should not be a part of the Christian’s life (James 3:2ff; Eph. 4:29-30; 5:3-5). But what does that have to do with an individual’s heart? Jesus told us, “The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matt. 15:18-19) When we speak we reveal out hearts. Jesus plainly said, “what proceeds out of the mouth come from the heart.” If we tell someone “they don’t know our hearts” yet we speak evil thoughts, slanders, and profanity, we lie. They do know our hearts. But the overarching theme I can learn is that we can protect our hearts by protecting our speech. We can protect it from hardening by taking the first step of watching what comes out of it. Jesus also said, “I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37). Not only does protecting our speech protect our hearts, but it can protect our souls as well. I love you all!

In His service,
Steven Hugley