Thursday, October 4, 2012

Guard Your Heart


 
When it comes to the matters of the heart, the popular advice is to "follow your heart." I would like to contradict that trend & say "guard your heart with all diligence..."
 
At a graduation ceremony that I attended this year, the speaker gave a Charge to the Graduates that included the words "follow your heart." In my eyes, this is a direct contradiction to Scripture, where it says-

"Guard your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life..."
- Proverbs 4:23
 
I believe that
 
"The heart is deceitful above all things & beyond cure. Who can understand it?" - Jeremiah 17:9
 
I would like to encourage my readers to trust God & wait for His Timing in bringing you a spouse. It will be worth the wait.

"Be still, and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

But I also encourage you- do not fritter away your time idly. Use this season of singleness to serve the Lord, your family, friends, Church etc. Learn all that you can, in preparation for marriage.

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossias 3:17

And again, from the same chapter...

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.
You are serving the Lord Christ." - Colossias 3:23-24
 
Along with King Solomon, I would encourage my readers to "not awaken love before its proper time"- 
 

  "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love before its proper time"
- Song of Solomon 8:4 (& also in SoS 2:7)

Another reminder-

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God & His righteousness,
& all these things will be added unto you as well..."
- Matthew 6:33

"Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart."
- Psalm 37:4

This verse does not mean that if we pretend to find our delight in the Lord, that He will grant us every wish, whim or passing fancy that we have. This verse means that as we truly learn to delight ourselves in the Lord & find all of our joy, contentment, identity etc in Him, then He will shape, mold & fashion our small desires into His big-picture Plan for our lives...

So... Some questions for you-

* Would you say that you are guiding your heart? Or following it?
* Are you trying to glorify God in all of your speech, thoughts, deeds & dress?
* Are you seeking God's Will, His Kingdom & His righteousness first?
* Are you content with where God has you in life?
* Are you "working while you wait," in preparation for your future?
* Are you "fully surrendering your precious dreams" to God?
* Are you trusting God with the outcome?
* Does your soul truly delight in the Lord?
* Are you happy to rest & wait for His Timing?

I encourage you to let there be "not even a hint of... immorality" in your life (Ephesians 5:3). In His own good, perfect Timing, "all things will work out for our Good & His Glory" (Romans 8:28). God's thoughts are not our thoughts nor are His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Trust in His good, perfect Will. Remember- no Promise of the Lord returns void (Isaiah 55:10-11)! God has a perfect Plan in mind for your life, far better than our wildest dreams, if we wait patiently for His Timing & do things His way! It IS worth the wait...

" Let us not become weary in doing good,  for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9
 

6 comments:

  1. Oh Kate; this is very good!
    I know for one, if I had ''followed my heart'' all my life, I would be a mess right now! :(
    Thankfully, I have parents to guide me and a LORD who is Sovereign and gracious and who kept me safe. Safe from myself!
    And yes, it is so important to guard our hearts in all ways! Thank you for the reminder my dear friend!

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    1. :) Thank you for commenting, my friend! Your comment was encouraging & inspiring! Amen & amen!

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    1. Thank you for commenting! God bless you as well!

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  3. I appreciate the idea behind this post! So many times do we hear "follow your heart" and "let your heart lead the way" from the world, and often, sadly, from the Christian community. People put way too much trust in themselves and their good intentions, instead of depending on the Lord and abandoning the selfish, fleshly desires of the heart. One of my favorite quotes in a movie comes from one of my favorites movies, Fireproof. A man is telling his friend to not give in to his own wants and not to believe that he can trust himself. He says, "You can't follow your heart, you've got to LEAD your heart, because your heart can be deceieved." Oh how true this is! If only we'd lead our hearts, right into the hands of God, we could truly be examples of Christ-centered living and radiant purity. So thank you Kate, for highlighting this topic in your post. I found it very truth-filled and thought-provoking! Blessings to you!

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    1. Hi Janae! Thank you for your comment. I agree with you completely. This topic has been on my heart for sometime now. I too have been very disappointed hearing the "follow your heart" speech in our Christian circles also. I also love that quote from the Fireproof movie. That & Sherwood Productions' new Courageous movie are some of my favorites. Thank you for posting! Be blessed today!

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