What's In Your Heart?

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV

Another translation, or older edition of NIV, for the second-half of this verse once said, "for it is the wellspring of life". According to the famous google search engine, a wellspring is defined as an original and bountiful source of something. So in this case, our heart is a original and bountiful source of life. And this proverbs wisdom is advising us to guard it.

Our physical hearts are, first of all, absolutely amazing. This cardiac muscle works diligently night and day to pump blood to the ends of our fingers and toes, as well as all of our organs - and it doesn't require a 'thank you', 'keep up the good work' or pat on the back to keep doing what it was designed to do. But our hearts are also squishy, and without the proper protection it can be easily damaged.

I've never personally touched a heart - it's not something on my bucket list either - but having watched TV shows and movies with the representation open heart surgery... And by the looks of it, a heart on its own wouldn't be able to withstand a punch, jab or kick. Perhaps this is why God surrounded it with our rib cage, because it needs the protection it couldn't provide for itself.

But we have to guard our hearts on levels beyond the physical. This morning I was texting a girlfriend, mi amiga, about Proverbs 4:23, and I was able to share with her that,

"I was reading another devotional this morning, and it talked about "what's in your heart?" Because sometimes we do things and our hearts aren't even in it to do whatever it is [we're doing]... and that's not a good thing. Because if we do things and do not have love, what good is that? (See 1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Or if we mean for someone to eat [our food] and enjoy but our hearts aren't in agreement, would that not make us a liar? (See Proverbs 23:7)"

Her response was sweet: "yes so true tell me more". And I continued and had mentioned, "That was pretty much the gist of what I took from it." But I took a second to think, what really is in my heart? Because I know I've let some thoughts and habits in which aren't truly reflecting Christ in me. I continued the text saying, 

"We just gotta take time to examine our hearts, ask God to show us what we need to change and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the grace and wisdom we need to work towards being true. True to ourselves/true to our hearts... true to reflect our transformed hearts as they are to reflect Christ."

Once again, her response was sweet and simple: "amen! I love it."

We usually associate our heart with love, after all, we have been designed and wired for love. So I'm asking myself, and you dear reader, "what's really in your heart?" This isn't a take-two-minutes-circle-the-best-answer-and-move-on-to-the-next-question type question. This may take some time. And as beautiful and complex as a heart may be, I'm going to invite God in to examine mine. Some things just haven't been lining up like I thought they should. But I'm going to trust God to see me through this continual growing and renewing and transforming process.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. 

Trust in God, and trust also in me [Jesus].

John 14:1 NLT

And do not be conformed to [the pattern of] this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, 

that you may prove [test that which is the] 

good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 NKJV