How To Glorify God with Your Heart (And Every Other Body Part)
What does it mean to guard your heart, and how do we put this principle into action?
Today, let’s take a closer look at Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV).
You may have heard this verse referenced in the context of Christian dating, where someone cautioned against becoming emotionally intimate with your crush too soon as it can lead to unhealthy, premature attachment.
Although this is certainly wise instruction, I don’t think it is what Solomon, the author of the proverb, had in mind primarily.
I say that because, for one, while in modern-day English we use “heart” in relation to a person’s romantic sentiments, the book of Proverbs was written in biblical Hebrew, where the word has a much broader meaning.
In biblical Hebrew, the word speaks of the command center of the soul, namely the entire inner person. It refers to our thoughts, feelings, aspirations, will, desires, inclinations, attitudes, affections, motives, and so on.
(By the way, “heart” is mentioned more than 800 times in the Old Testament alone, making it one of the most commonly used terms in all Scripture!)
Secondly, the CONTEXT of the command to “guard your heart” in Proverbs 4:23 is also crucial.
The chief rule for accurately interpreting God’s Word is to read every verse and paragraph in context. And what’s taking place in the fourth chapter of Proverbs is that Solomon is having a talk with his “sons” (verse 1) about how to grow in godly wisdom. (Scholars agree that “sons” most likely refers to Solomon’s pupils or apprentices.)
Solomon is instructing these young men to walk in righteousness and do whatever they can to avoid evil and the people who practice it. That’s the gist of the chapter.
The context is virtuous, God-centered day-to-day living in general, not dating or romantic relationships specifically.
With this in mind, when we go back to verse 23, “Above all else, guard your heart…” we understand that it’s a command to guard (that is, to examine and evaluate) what we allow into our inner person through our senses.
For good or for bad, what we let into our hearts will express itself in our lives. The way we think is the way we are (Proverbs 23:7). Our habits, activities, and pursuits—in fact, the entire direction of our lives (everything we do, Proverbs 4:23 says)—originate from the heart!
And now that we correctly understand what “heart” refers to and why Proverbs says it’s critical to guard it, how do we take action on this knowledge? How do we go about protecting our inner person against ungodly influences so we stay firm in our faith and live lives that glorify God?
By far, the best way to guard your heart is to meditate on Scripture. The Psalmist said it perfectly: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).
When we feed our soul (or “heart”: same thing) with “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,” and with that which is of “excellence” and “worthy of praise“ (Philippians 4:8), our inner person is strengthened.
In turn, we become better equipped to resist sin and make decisions, big and small, that are pleasing to the Lord.
Yes, everything is a product of who we are on the inside, even our speech. According to Jesus, “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34).
And just like our bodies can’t work properly unless our physical heart is healthy, we can’t function correctly in our relationship with God and fellow humans unless the inner core of who we are is healthy.
In Matthew 15:17-19 Jesus goes so far as to say it’s not what we eat or drink that makes us unclean, but rather the things that flow from the heart. This is how much power our heart holds over us.
Let’s get serious, then, about guarding our hearts as we commit to bringing God’s Truth into the deepest parts of our being!
L.B.
Do you have any daily rituals or practices that help guard your heart against sinning? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
If you got value from this post, feel free to use the social media share buttons to share it with others!
Also on the blog:
God wants us to persist in prayer and not give up. From the micro to the macro, He is purposefully at work in our lives, and His methods and timing are perfect. What are trials but invitations for us to depend on Him more? Christopher’s story will inspire you to press on - even when progress comes slowly.
Lena belongs to a prison ministry that regularly travels to maximum-security jails in Mexico to share with the inmates how they can receive forgiveness for their sins through faith in Jesus Christ. As you'll see, God's light is strong enough to penetrate the darkest places. Click here for the story.
A former top producer in the Internet marketing world, Lena Bjorna's focus today is on family and ministry. She recently shared her remarkable journey on Rodney Olsen's "Bleeding Daylight" podcast. Lena's story illustrates how God can transform our greatest challenges into opportunities for meaningful impact.
When you discover your spiritual gifts, it will allow you to experience maximum fulfillment with minimum frustration in your home life, work life, and ministry. You’ll be able to focus on the things you enjoy, and that while having confidence that you’re doing precisely what you were put here to do! Read Lena’s blog post here.
Every Saturday morning, a long line of families waits on the sidewalk outside Downey First Christian Church to receive food items from the church food bank. A team of volunteers, led by Lena, strike up conversations with them, love on them, and share the Gospel with them. Find out more about what God's been up to!
On any given Saturday morning, 200+ families line up on the sidewalk outside Downey First Christian Church to receive food items from the church food bank. While the families wait in line, a team of volunteers, led by Lena, strike up conversations with them and talk to them about God. Here are some encouraging stories about how God has been moving lately.
There are countless ways to spread kindness to strangers in our communities and the world today. For starters, here are nine examples of how we can practice kindness and live out the Golden Rule daily.
We’re more likely to have a run-in with joy when we center our lives around Jesus and people, as opposed to making life mostly about ourselves: our interests, our plans, our wants, our fulfillment. Read Lena’s inspiring blog post here.
"Love God, love people," teaches the Bible. The Christian's life is to revolve around these two activities. But although to love is a biblical command and not optional, God has made it so that love ALSO happens to be the path to joy! Discover more here.
God's ways are often vastly different from ours - counterintuitive even - and can be painful and confusing for a season. Still, His plans for us, which we'll usually see later when looking back, are always better than our own. Click here for Lena’s blog post!
“Love your neighbor…” When Lena took leadership of the evangelism outreach team at her local church, she could never have imagined the amazing things God would do through the new ministry. Read the exciting story here.
A swallowing disorder almost claimed the life of Lena's autistic stepson, Christopher, and for the next nine months he was incapable of eating solid foods. Then, on a glorious Easter Sunday, it happened... Read the gripping story here.
The Bible teaches that God's people are channels of His grace. By plugging into relationships with other mature Christians, we’ll have a better chance of experiencing spiritual growth and emotional healing. Check out Lena's post here.
We can't follow Jesus and, at the same time, embrace the self-esteem propaganda of the world. We pursue OUR glory, or we pursue HIS. Read Lena's thought-provoking blog post here.
The Bible tells us to walk by faith, not by sight. Discover what it means to trust in God and move forward in childlike faith, one step at a time. Check out Lena's encouraging blog post here.
Want to raise emotionally, socially, and spiritually healthy kids? Use grace and truth to reinforce a positive self-image, helping them embrace their identity in the Lord! Read Lena's inspiring blog post here.
Got unanswered prayers? Sometimes God makes us wait a long time before He comes through for us, even when we're asking for something that is wholesome and godly. Why? Read Lena's thought-provoking blog post here.
How do you choose a church? Here’s what finding the right church is all about... Hint: it's NOT about identifying a place where we'll get all our personal wants met!
Are you experiencing spiritual attacks? You can stay encouraged through it all by being familiar with what the Bible says about the devil’s methods and motives. Click here for Lena's blog post.
Lena's stepson, who has severe autism, has taught her many important lessons about joy, forgiveness, contentment, and patience. We think he'll inspire you, too! Read the encouraging post.
The struggle against sin is a struggle against unbelief. This is why the devil always tries to make us doubt God and His Word. The solution? Well, it's not willpower... Check out Lena's blog post.
"Your body is not your own," says the Bible. When it comes to human sexuality, God's ways stand in stark contrast to those of the world. Why does God say to wait till marriage? Find out here.
Want to find your calling, so you can be everything God created you to be? Here’s the one critical thing you must do first, in order to find your calling from God. Click here for Lena’s blog post.
Whether you're 30, 60, or 90, it's never too late to make new friends! Lena shares an inspiring friendship story from her own life and some pearls of wisdom in this blog post.
Have you let God down—failed Him even? Welcome to the club! The great news is that it's not too late. The Lord still wants to use you to build His kingdom. Check out Lena's encouraging blog post.
They've planned their wedding for the summer of 2020. Then, March arrives, and the world gets hit by a pandemic and goes into lockdown. What do they do? Here's Don's & Lena's story of resolve and creativity.
Do you know where the enemy is most likely to attack you today? (The answer may surprise you!) Learn the three steps to defeating the devil, modeled by Jesus Himself. Click here for more.
If you're constantly checking your phone or can't get through the day without music or movies, your gadgets may have gained a bit too much power over you. What to do? Lena's blog post may help.
God may sometimes ask us to do things that don’t make sense on a human plane and without revealing His intentions to us. Will we obey Him regardless? Check out Lena's inspiring blog post here.
Paul writes in Ephesians that to protect ourselves against the enemy, it’s critical we wear the proper footgear. It's only when our feet are shod with the gospel of peace that we'll be able both to stand our ground and march fearlessly forward. Read Lena's blog post here.