Guard it!

What do you do when you are in a war and your superior has entrusted you with the nation's most valuable and sought after asset? You guard it! Courageously and ferociously, you keep watch... You do everything in your power to safeguard and shield it, knowing that your enemy will be just as vigilant.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." (Proverbs 4:23, NLT)

I've heard this verse hundreds of times (literally), but I've never really thought about the severity of what God is saying through Solomon. This is absolutely vital to everything you do. How I do at protecting my heart will determine the course of my life!

But what does it really mean to "guard your heart"? In its context, Solomon is talking about holding onto wisdom... Treasuring it! So, why must I guard my heart? Because the evil one will do everything in his power to steal, kill and destroy it. He is a lier and he always begins with my heart. He wants to contaminate my heart through sowing seeds of doubt, lust, criticism, self-centeredness, etc.

So, I must be diligent. I must be alert and clear-minded, setting a guard over what I allow into my heart, and constantly examining it.