Guard Your Heart?

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

I have read this verse so many times throughout my life, but for some reason tonight it struck a different chord in my spirit.

I can't help but see a parallel to the words of Jesus in John 7:38.
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

Throughout our lives we have been told to guard our heart. But why? Why guard It? And why the heart above all else? The easy answer is the second part of the verse "for from it flow the springs of life." But I had never really thought about what that meant either.

Why our heart? Because it's the dwelling place of the Lord.
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith... Ephesians 3:17

The heart is obviously the most important part of our body if it's the dwelling place of the Lord.

Also, living water, as referenced by Jesus in John 7, is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Thus, the "springs of life" are actually the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Therefore the heart is the place where the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
How important is the Holy Spirit in our lives? This is shown in John where Jesus tells the disciples that it is to their advantage that he go.
Why?
Because, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." John 16:13

So if you want to hear the voice of the Lord, then it's important that your heart is tuned in.

The problem is, that your heart is a part of your flesh. And as pointed out in Romans,
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh... Romans 7:18

The heart is the part of your body where the Spirit and your flesh meet. The part of your body where flesh and spirit wage an internal war.

But if our heart is the dwelling place of the Lord, the place where the Holy Spirit speaks into our lives, and yet is also a part of our flesh, in which nothing good dwells, how do we make sure we hear the Lord clearly?

The answer, guard your heart.

As we die to ourselves,
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23,
and we guard our hearts from the things of the flesh that would so easily take over,
there is more room for God to take control and to move in our lives.

More of Him and less of me.
He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

So why guard your heart? Simple, "from it flow the springs of life."



"Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" by Relient K