Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the “issues” of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
Have you ever been involved in a tedious conversation, a lousy deal, an immature relationship or an uncomfortable social situation, only to realize you could have navigated it better… if only you would have listened to that gentle nudge, that still small voice?
For the sheep hear the shepherd’s voice, a stranger’s voice they will not follow. (John 10:4-5)
And yet, here’s an honest confession-
I have been in multiple uncomfortable situations, only to reflect and realize that the not-so-desirable outcome could have been avoided. (Ouch…)
Living with a new spirit and old habits…
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are born again and become a new creation in Him.
The Bible assures us that, ” the old things have passed away, and all things have been made new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Sure enough, our spirit is born again the moment we receive salvation, but what about our flesh and the tendencies that accompany our very existence?
This old flesh against new spirit is what makes it critical for us to guard our hearts with all diligence.
Just like we don’t forget how to brush, eat and bathe when we are born again, our memories and our habits remain- until our spirit man takes over and claims them in Jesus’ name.
The battle always begins in the mind, thus there is this constant need to renew it every day afresh with the Word of God. (Romans 12:1)
Every day, we need to make the conscious decision to choose God-things above the good things. Every day, we need to put to death the vile, base tendencies that had become our second nature.
Every day, we must deliberately choose to please God, not men.
And it all starts, when you choose to guard your heart.
For out of it flows the issues of life…
The problem with a poorly guarded heart is that it results in multiple issues– not one.
It’s like the snowball effect, where one poor choice results in multiple bad decisions affecting us and those around us for several days (and even decades) to come.
How, Sany?
I remember a time when I started backsliding (pulling away from God).
It started with a single decision- to cut down on my daily bible reading habit.
Then came the next step- I cut down on online sermons.
Further down I shunned fellowships and church meetings.
Slowly, but steadily, my spiritual growth sapped, until one day a major crisis had me running back to God.
Was I being punished for the backsliding?
Abba, our heavenly Father, put the punishment for every sin -past, present and future on His only begotten Son, Jesus, when He willingly gave Himself up on the cross.
The after-effects of my backsliding were not a punishment from God- they were consequences.
There is a difference between “punishment” and “consequence.”
Punishment is getting what we deserve for our wrong doings (which for us, believers, Christ already bore on the cross).
Consequences on the other hand is made up of two words:
con (means with) + sequence (what follows after)
So, consequence may not necessarily be what you deserve, instead it could be infinitely worse or better, depending on what triggered it (in our imagery, that would be the size of the first snowball).
I drifted away from God, exposing myself to the attacks of the enemy.
Because, if your mind is the battlefield, and the Word of God is your armour, imagine what putting off your armour makes you.
In a single word, “vulnerable”.
How you save time when you guard your heart!
So, coming back to the first question:
Have you ever been involved in a tedious conversation, a lousy deal, an immature relationship or an uncomfortable social situation, only to realize you could have navigated it better…?
The answer to this, for most of us, would obviously be yes.
For at the end of the day, we are human- we learn, relearn and unlearn from our experiences.
None of us is born with in-built wisdom.
Instead, we pray for it, we take a step, we win some, we lose some, and hopefully, we move on.
The only concern in all the “miss it-hit it” is a lot of time is required to restore things from scratch.
Time is the only resource that is the same for each one of us, from the richest to the poorest, from the youngest to the oldest- 24 hours, 7 days a week.
You may have heard about “opportunity cost“.
In a layman’s term it means- every time, we choose something, we lose out on something else.
Time is one such resource we lose out on the most while recovering from a wrong move.
Of course, several other consequences follow a poor choice- starting from a cycle of regret to days of wishful thinking- but all of it culminate into “more time lost”.
Yes, our God is the God of restoration, He restores the harvest the locusts had destroyed (Joel 2:25).
But my question is, why let the locusts eat your harvest, that is your best years?
If you have been forewarned, if there is no peace in the decision, if you find yourself overthinking already- word of advice- WALK AWAY!!!
Your heart is precious and must be protected from the junk of the world.
Remember, not everything is needed to live a blessed life.
So if you fear missing out on the “good things” of life, let these verses assure you:
Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart.
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways, know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
(Proverbs 3:5-6, AMP)
May His perfect peace guard your heart and mind as you live in Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:7, NLT)
In Jesus name,
Amen!
P.S.: Thank you, Flower, for your constant love and fellowship. Thank you for the insights!
