Proverbs 4 is packed with perspective and direction to help u live a God-honoring life. If you haven't read it recently, take a few minutes and read it now.
I focused on the last five verses to kick off the Guarded series. The challenge of the week and for the series is to guard our hearts because what happens in our hearts will be expressed in our life.
That's why we are commanded to guard our hearts above all else. Everything in our words, thoughts, and actions flows from the heart. Read it again. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. PROVERBS 4:23
We guard our hearts by setting up boundaries that are best for us and better for others.
What does that look like? Keep reading.
GUARD YOUR WORDS
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. PROVERBS 4:24 Guard your heart by being wise with your words. Keep corrupt talk FAR from your lips. Don't creep up to and cross the line. Draw a boundary that is far from corrupt. Why? Because what comes out of your mouth shows what is happening in your heart.
GUARD YOUR EYES
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. PROVERBS 4:25 Guard your heart by fixing your gaze. Don't let your eyes lead you to a place you don't want to go to and isn't best for you. Commit the desires of your life and the wants of your heart to the Lord. Don't get drawn into pornography, the scroll of more, or any other lust of the eyes. What you see stays in your mind and sticks in your heart so guard your heart by guarding your eyes.
GUARD YOUR STEPS
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. PROVERBS 4:23-27 Give careful thought to how you live so that you guard your heart. Don't allow yourself to be wrongly influenced by negative inputs in your life. Keeping our feet from evil can be done by checking the inputs of our life and their effect on us. Check things like music, media, movies, screen time, the opinions of others, and even food and drink to see how these inputs are influencing you. Believe it or not, you can change one input and see changes in your life.
This week, protect your heart by guarding the inputs of your heart and guarding access to your heart.
I focused on the last five verses to kick off the Guarded series. The challenge of the week and for the series is to guard our hearts because what happens in our hearts will be expressed in our life.
That's why we are commanded to guard our hearts above all else. Everything in our words, thoughts, and actions flows from the heart. Read it again. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. PROVERBS 4:23
We guard our hearts by setting up boundaries that are best for us and better for others.
What does that look like? Keep reading.
GUARD YOUR WORDS
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. PROVERBS 4:24 Guard your heart by being wise with your words. Keep corrupt talk FAR from your lips. Don't creep up to and cross the line. Draw a boundary that is far from corrupt. Why? Because what comes out of your mouth shows what is happening in your heart.
GUARD YOUR EYES
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. PROVERBS 4:25 Guard your heart by fixing your gaze. Don't let your eyes lead you to a place you don't want to go to and isn't best for you. Commit the desires of your life and the wants of your heart to the Lord. Don't get drawn into pornography, the scroll of more, or any other lust of the eyes. What you see stays in your mind and sticks in your heart so guard your heart by guarding your eyes.
GUARD YOUR STEPS
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. PROVERBS 4:23-27 Give careful thought to how you live so that you guard your heart. Don't allow yourself to be wrongly influenced by negative inputs in your life. Keeping our feet from evil can be done by checking the inputs of our life and their effect on us. Check things like music, media, movies, screen time, the opinions of others, and even food and drink to see how these inputs are influencing you. Believe it or not, you can change one input and see changes in your life.
This week, protect your heart by guarding the inputs of your heart and guarding access to your heart.