Guard Your Heart

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4.23 NIV

Guarding my heart became a very personal and very real challenge for me when I was struggling with masturbation—a battle I thought I would go to the grave with. No matter what I did in my own strength, I could not stop the secret sin until I realized what I was allowing into my life.

Movies.

Shows.

Music.

Books.

All the little choices I was making daily created a comfortable and open door to my heart, allowing sin to creep into my life.

Until I realized those things were triggers.

Triggers from the Enemy telling me to turn to my weakness.

Imagine a car and its oil filter. If you don’t care about what goes in, you won’t make it far.

Your heart should be like a filter for the world. It should decide what music you listen to, what movies you watch, what people you follow. Who you spend time with.  

A heart that is governed by the Holy Spirit will filter out anything that doesn’t glorify God. Anything that breaks God’s heart.

Don’t let your oil filter get so clogged up with worldly things that the Holy Spirit has no room anymore.

I want to leave you with a simple illustration that will hopefully help you make decisions regarding what you allow into your heart.

Draw a line. On one side write Dilemma and on the other side write Values.

Anytime you are confronted with something, write down the dilemma and what you value.

I have memorized my values so whenever I am confronted with an issue, I take a minute to reflect on my values and quickly make my decision.

Should I choose a secular song that leaves me lustful and discouraged in my singleness?

My values are worth more than the dilemma.

Should I watch a show filled with soft-porn that leaves me feeling empty?

I am worth more than that.

Scroll through the person’s feed that leaves me discouraged, comparing, and judgmental?

My values matter more. I matter more.

Guard your heart, guard your life.  

Contributor: Liana R.