Guarding Our Heart

By Pr Herna Kong

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil (Prov. 4:23-27, NLT).

Taking care of someone or something is not an easy task. I know someone who keeps expensive ornamental plants. She will spend hours daily to check diligently on the condition of the plants. She will prune, water and fertilise them regularly. She will check every leaf meticulously to make sure there are no gnats on it. She never gets tired or bored of this routine. “Those plants are so precious. A slight negligence on my part will cause the plants to deteriorate,” she said. 

Likewise, taking care of our heart requires our diligence in checking on it constantly. It requires our ensuring that our heart firmly says “no” to sin. King Solomon started his journey of faith well; his heart was sincere in its love for God. However, he was negligent in taking care of his heart along the way. Towards the end of his journey of faith, he turned his heart to worshipping other gods because of his love for some foreign women 
(1 Kings 11:4). The slightest negligence in the taking care of one’s heart opens the way for sin to cause one’s downfall. It is no wonder the Scriptures warn us to guard our heart: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”. The essence of our whole being is our heart, which is the innermost part of our true self. It is from here that our dreams, desires, passions, motives, thoughts, emotions, decisions and actions come from. Therefore, our heart indeed “determines the course” of our life.

The saying “You are what you eat” tells us that if we watch our diet carefully, we will be healthy. Likewise, if we watch over our heart vigilantly in regard to our speech, sight and steps, the course of our life will be good.  

How is the condition of your heart? Have you checked on it lately?