“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life”- Proverbs 4:23
Guarding our hearts is critical because it is where life flows. Many of us have “taken to heart” words, opinions, and even images that have directly affected the view that we have of ourselves. Knowing that we are created in the image of God is the first step, but we have to develop a habit of shifting our focus and retraining our thoughts so that we can see ourselves that way that God sees us.
When our personal view gets clouded by life we have to go back to our Source, our Creator, and our Heavenly Father. If we back up a bit in Chapter 4, we can read the advice that a father gives to his son prior to verse 23:
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My son, pay attention to my words and be willing to learn;
Open your ears to my sayings.
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Do not let them escape from your sight;
Keep them in the center of your heart.
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For they are life to those who find them,
And healing and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs is a book written entirely to impart wisdom and knowledge through instruction. In the verses above, we read instructions from a father to his son, but this is a model for the relationship that we have with our Heavenly Father.
Our Heavenly Father is admonishing us to pay attention to His Word here because it will bring life, healing, and health to our flesh. Focusing on anything else will drain us and it will ultimately lead to spiritual heart failure. Let’s focus on doing heart work so that we can be clear on who and what we are in Christ.