How To Guard Your Heart

Proverbs 4:20-27
 Proverbs 4:20-27

20My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.

21Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. 22For they
are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.
23Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
24Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips
talk deviously.25Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight
ahead. 26Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your
ways will be established.27Don’t turn to the right or to the left;
keep your feet away from evil.
1. Recognize the treasure

Two phrases jump off the page when reading this passage, "above all
else" and "wellspring of life." To experience the fullness of our faith and
partake of the blessings of God, we must recognize the treasure of the
heart. "Above all else" communicates priority, and "wellspring of life"
communicates a glorious promise. The text identifies guarding your
heart as more important than anything else. To the Christian community
that cherishes the doctrine of self-denial as one of the key aspects of
following Christ, guarding your heart appears to be a contradiction. We
expect to "take up our cross" not take care of our heart. I am convinced
that Proverbs 4:23-27 contains another great paradox of kingdom living.
Could it be that we can only die to self when we guard our heart?
2. Prioritize the task

Having identified the biblical mandate for us to recognize the

treasure of the heart, we must prioritize the task of guarding our
heart. If I asked any church to identify the top Christian disciplines,
how do you think guarding your heart would rank? We could expect
answers like worship, prayer, Bible study, and evangelism. These
answers are correct, and they certainly play a major role in
guarding our heart. However, it strikes me as odd that the command
to guard our heart rarely, if ever, receives the priority that the
Scriptures attach to the heart.
3. Minimize the trash

Guarding your heart includes seeking God, but we cannot ignore the
instruction to minimize the trash from our lives. The verses that follow the
command to guard our heart describe putting away perverse speech, looking
straight ahead, and choosing good paths. These verses are similar to the New
Testament challenge contained in Hebrews 12:1-2: "Therefore since we also
have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every
weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and run with endurance the
race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter
of our faith." Both of these passages reveal the need to remove some things
from our lives so that we can run the race of faith. The sinister trap of
legalism ensnares those who make removal the goal of faith instead of
removing sin for the purpose of going forward in faith.
4. Energize with truth

A fourth strategy for guarding your heart is to energize with truth.

Note the instruction "pay attention and listen closely" (Pr. 4:20).
This emphasis to give careful attention to divine truth is followed by
the promise of life and health. We need truth. Jesus said the truth
would set us free. Solomon exhorts his son to discern and hold the
instruction close to his heart.
Conclusion

• Guarding your heart is critical to experiencing all that God desires for your life. When we
Recognize the Treasure, Prioritize the Task, Minimize the Trash, and Energize with Truth,
we place ourselves in a position to receive the blessings of God.
• Nuclear submarines consist of some of the most amazing technology on the planet. These
incredible military vessels can stay underwater for ninety days, but every ninety days the
submarine must resurface to maintain proper alignment with the North Star. While
underwater, the submarine's navigational system is affected by the earth's magnetic forces.
Because these submarines carry missiles of mass destruction, they must pay close attention
to keeping the navigational equipment aligned to the true reference point of the North Star
(Chip Ingram, I Am With You Always, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2002, p.217).
• The nuclear submarine provides an excellent picture of our heart. Just as the submarine
may have enough physical provisions like food, water, or fuel to survive, it cannot perform
at its highest level or complete its mission without maintaining proper alignment with the
true reference point. Your heart is the navigational equipment of your life. It must stay
aligned with God. By guarding your heart, you stay locked on to God's will and the
"wellsprings of life."