Guard Your Heart

Dec 16

Written By Priscilla Roos van Raadshooven

How to guard your heart?

Proverbs 4:23-24 (AMP) says, 'Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful (lying, misleading) mouth, And put devious lips far from you.'

Guard your heart with all diligence. How do you do it in real - daily life?

Guarding your heart when everything is good is easy.

But when things go wrong, and sometimes things could slip unconsciously and become not good, that is honestly not easy. Because sometimes we don't realize it. Sometimes, it was a slow process, just one degree at a time, and suddenly, you found yourself at a place you didn't want to.

Do you know how to cook a crab? Put a crab in normal water and boil it until the crab doesn't realize it is too hot, and he becomes dinner. One degree at a time could bring you from good to bad shapes (and also otherwise).

That's why we must be diligent about accessing and examining our hearts. Even when things go bad, there's still a way to protect them.

This line is my mantra:

“Control what you can control”

We can't change other people or what happened to us.

There are things that we can control no matter what happens:

our response
our perspective
our attitude
boundaries
And our hearts.

RESPONSE

"How others treat you is a reflection of them. How you react is a reflection of you."

@drcarolineleaf

How the way you respond to the situation matters. Honestly, sometimes, we do not always have the proper response or reaction. We could get triggered, too. Your reactions reflect your emotional state at that moment.

PERSPECTIVE

When you know this point of view, would you still blame and point fingers at others when things don't go your way? Because it takes tango to create chaos or peace.

ATTITUDE

Can you still respect or treat them well or be civil to others who mistreat you? Not easy heh?

BOUNDARIES

"Boundaries to Consider: I say no to things I don't like. I say no to things that don't contribute to my growth. I say no to things that rob me of valuable time.

Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself

So, do you know your boundaries? And do you use that boundary? Or do you let the other keep on taking something from you?

HEART

It's the ultimate thing we must guard with everything we have. Be intentional and have due intelligence to guard it. Don't let a slight bitterness, disappointment, anger, jealousy, or insecurity stay longer and grow in your heart. It's the source and lense of your life. When your heart is bitter, whatever you see is bitterness. When your heart is clean and healthy, whatever you do will flourish.

Be Honest

It's a heart check-up—be honest with yourself and with God. How do you feel? Be vulnerable. God is not afraid of your emotions and what you think. You are allowed to be mad, angry, sad, or disappointed. Our Bible has one special book only for lament—crying and weeping. Be honest.

Let's be honest. It's not easy to always respond well and have a good perspective, attitude, and heart. Sometimes, we can go wrong, lose our temper, or even lose our sanity.

I found other things to be helpful: Surround yourself with godly people. Walk with the wise.

'Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. '

Proverbs 13:20 NLT

When you surround yourself with godly people and wise people, they become the anchor of your life, a guardrail that helps you stay in the line. Be vulnerable with the people that you can trust.

Sometimes, it seems difficult to find friends that you can trust. When I moved to the Netherlands, I didn't have as big a circle of friends as I used to. But I had to start making friends and being vulnerable with new people.

"Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage." "There is no courage without vulnerability. Courage requires the willingness to lean into uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure."

Dr Brene Brown.

So, let’s take time and do the heart check up!