Guarding Your Heart
Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:1, 5-9, 20-27
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. . . . Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4 refers again to wisdom as a person. She’s someone to be sought. To follow her ways is to be fully in line with God’s ways. To honor God in all we do requires healthy familiarity with Lady Wisdom. It calls for knowledge as well as how best to apply it. Living effectively as followers of Christ requires wisdom in our everyday decision making.
Wisdom is not a computer chip installed in one’s conscience. It comes by way of obedience to God’s Word even when it may not make sense to friends who are not committed to honoring God. It comes by asking God for wisdom in whatever you may do (James 1:5). It comes by way of asking, “What would Jesus do?” as well as, “What would Jesus have me do?” and praying for the guidance of God’s Spirit. It all begins with your heart and its alignment with God.
Today’s proverbs aren’t talking about the heart that pumps blood through our bodies, or the heart we might associate with romance. It has in mind what parents or other teachers say when they urge us, “Give Jesus your heart.” The heart we must guard is our commitment to love and serve the Lord, no matter what. Does your heart have the divine power and direction it needs?
Father God, help me to guard my heart by reading your Word and seeking the friendship of those whose hearts are tuned to your direction for their lives. In Christ’s name, Amen.
About the author — George Vink
Pastor George Vink has served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church for more than 30 years in British Columbia, Montana, Michigan, and California. He and his wife, Shirley, have four married sons and nine grandchildren.
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