Stand on Guard

 

Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

There is some very passionate and intense language in this verse exhorting us to guard our hearts. To guard something implies that there is danger nearby that may threaten its safety and preservation. If I am guarding a valuable treasure, that means that I will have to take precautions to keep it out of the hands of vandals or thieves. I will have to have plans in place to ensure its protection. Anything of value in this life is at risk of being stolen, for there is always a thief watching and waiting to take what doesn’t belong to him.

Not only are we told to guard the treasure of our hearts, we are told to do it above all else. Let this take precedence. Let this be your priority. If we do not guard our hearts, we may lose everything. Nothing else matters if we lose our sense of purpose, or we lose our own sense of value; we have lost everything. I could have a lot of money but be totally empty inside. I could have a large paid-for house, but no friends or family around to enjoy it with me. Or, sadly, I could have a successful ministry and large congregation, but it may have cost me much more than I intended.

Of course, all these things are part of the challenge of living a balanced life. God desires for us to be productive in life; He wants us to be influencers and leaders within our social circles. He knows what it takes to make a living, to raise a family, to serve in your church, or community. Balance and priorities are the keys to a happy and fulfilling life.

Our primary task is keeping a close eye on our heart, which is our inner man, our spirit, the person within, who is in contact and communion with God. Like the roots of a tree, which are hidden from our view, our spirit is rooted in the unseen realm, deep in the soil of God and through that connection, we draw up life from Him. Just as that same tree needs its roots to be protected, so we, too, must diligently guard our hearts for, like the roots, out of it comes our very life. The condition of our life is determined by the condition of our heart, just as the health of the root determines the health of the fruit.

If we’ve made wrong choices and said stupid things, as all of us have, we should listen to the counsel of a friend of mine who always has deep insights from God. He says, ‘Instead of asking others, why does this keep happening to me? We should ask ourselves, why does this keep coming out of me?’ In other words, the problem may be a little closer to home than we would like to admit, but then again, so is the solution.

A tree does not grow on its’ own; it grows within a context and setting. We too, do not grow on our own. We are planted in a setting and within an environment. We are dependent on the temperature of the climate and the condition of the soil. Sun, wind and rain are all factors. We do not control any of those things, but we can control our response to them. In fact, just as God has designed the tree to remain healthy and thus, be able to withstand adversity, we too, have been designed by God to remain healthy and to thereby, resist harsh conditions. We are created to not only survive but thrive.

Guard your heart. Don’t let the hardships and trouble poison you. Don’t let those things change you. You are a child of the Father and His love is in you, and one of the best ways to guard your heart is to keep walking in love. I’ve always been impressed with those who have gone through the harshest experiences and bitter betrayals, and yet have remained tender and sweet. Now, that is the kind of tree that will fill one’s life with bountiful and beautiful fruit forever.

 

Are You Aware of Your Blindspots?

 

Proverbs 12:15 - The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that hearkens to counsel is wise. 

    It is an unhappy propensity in all of us, that once we decide that we are right about something, we bulldoze ahead, not listening to anyone, or considering what others have to say. This is what the Bible describes as the way of a fool.

    The pathway of the foolish is the course that they are on; it is the habits, patterns and methods that are consistently followed. In the fool’s narrow mind, he is always right. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, He commanded them to refrain from eating of one specific tree: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some have suggested that it could be called, the tree of the knowledge of right and wrong. If we are not careful, it is very easy to fall into this foolish way of living; that of making all our decisions based on who’s right and who’s wrong. Years ago, a young married man decided that his wife was not listening to him, so he took her to my pastor friend, and described in detail how she was wrong. My friend quietly listened and then wisely answered him by saying that he could either insist on being right, or he could be married. He was living by right and wrong instead of partaking of a different tree; that of the tree of life. Isn't this our tendency?

    If we think we are right about something, and we may be, we should first, wisely consider what others think. Some people brazenly say, ‘I don't care what anyone thinks.’ While it is true that we do not care what everyone thinks, surely, we care what some people think. I certainly care what my wife thinks, I care what my children think, I care what my coworkers think, and I care what my pastor thinks. There are significant others whom we must wisely consult and listen to before making our big decisions. Another's perspective is essential to a successful life, because we all have blind spots.

    When driving down the road, before we make a left-hand lane change, we check our rear-view and side-view mirrors, but we also sensibly do a shoulder check, because in between those two mirrors is a blind spot. This is how we get into trouble and many collisions take place. We don't discipline ourselves to take the necessary precautions before going ahead. If we want to remain safe, we cannot skip the shoulder check. Listening to another's counsel is like that shoulder check, and wisdom will always lead us to do it. We have seen many things like this happen. We can see the person up ahead begin to make a lane change, and because we are far enough back that we have perspective, we can see that he's going to crash into another car. It is so clear and obvious to the one who has perspective, but not to the one who thinks he's right and blindly moves ahead.

    We can see this same thoughtlessness illustrated when a pedestrian, who has the right of way, foolishly steps off the curb without looking, and is hit by a car. He may have been right; he even had the right of way. The driver was unmistakably wrong, but sadly, in this case, the pedestrian was killed; he was so right, that he was dead right.

    Let's be wise, friends, and slow down and ask the trusted people around us what they think. We may not like everything we hear, because we may learn some unpleasant or unflattering things about ourselves. As we grow older, it is harder to hear those things and change, but a wise and humble person will always do it.