Pastor’s Corner: “The Heart of the Matter”
Proverbs 4:20-23 (NIV) – 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
Our hearts pump at a rate of 70-75 beats per minute. Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back. A healthy heart can do amazing things. Conversely, if our heart malfunctions, our whole body shuts down. The same could be said of our “spiritual heart.” In Scripture, the word heart represents the center of our emotions, thinking, and reasoning. It is the “command center” of our life.
That being said, wouldn’t it be wise to pay attention and protect our hearts! Proverbs says to do this Above all else? Good grief — we don’t even do it once in a while. We might as well leave our life savings on the seat of the car with the windows rolled down — we’re that careless with our hearts. Seriously, now — what do you do on a daily basis to care for your heart? Okay, that wasn’t fair. How about weekly? Monthly?
We live completely backward. “All else” is above our hearts. I’ll wager that caring for your heart isn’t even a category you think in. “Let’s see — I’ve got to get the kids to soccer, the car needs to be dropped off at the shop, and I need to take a couple of hours for my heart this week.” It probably sounds unbiblical, but God intends that we treat our hearts as the treasures of the kingdom, ransomed at tremendous cost, as if we really do matter, and matter deeply.
Your heart matters to God. Your heart has always mattered to Him. Treat your heart for the treasure It is. It is one thing to say we believe that; it is another thing to discover it is true. Proverbs says guard your heart because it is the wellspring of your life, because it is a treasure, because everything else depends on it. How kind of God to give us this warning, like someone’s entrusting to a friend something precious to him, with the words: “Be careful with this — it means a lot to me.”
How can we do this? Guarding and protecting our heart isn’t about separating ourselves from people who don’t agree with us, hurt our feelings or who we perceive as our enemies. Remember: Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Proverbs 4 shows us how to guard our hearts. First and fore-most we are to listen and keep God’s words in our heart. Fill ourselves up with His words. The scripture also goes on to say, watch what we say, watch what we are watching and watch where we go. What kind of words are you filling yourself up with? What do you watch, what do you listen to, and where are you spending your time? We don’t think of it in this way but this is leaving your heart un-protected and unguarded. Filling ourselves with His words brings life and health to our whole body!
How’s your heart? Tired, hurting, bruised, broken? How have you been guarding it? Have you been neglecting or treasuring your heart? Your heart matters to God, you matter to God. You have always mattered to Him. Please pray with me:
Lord, I confess that my life is too busy and my mind wanders. I usually focus on the things of this world much more than I focus on paying attention to Your commands or listening carefully to Your instructions. Forgive me. Lead me. Change me. Mold me into someone better than before. Help me to be on guard for the enemy at all times; to always be alert to the evil plans he has to lead me away from You. Help me to guard my heart above all else. My body will grow old and weak, but my heart and mind are Yours forever. Guide my heart to follow Your course. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton