I attended church online this morning. I have been feeling overwhelmed and stressed on and off this week and Sunday mornings are proving hard for me.
Our Pastor’s message continued from last week’s message and was drawn from Proverbs 4:23:
“23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Solomon’s comment is addressing the inner man. Our hearts are dark and sinful, but God is the heart changer. Only He can change the heart. God can change a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19. Too often we want God to bless what we are doing instead of getting into what God is doing. We need to surrender to God to let him do the changes and give our lives proper direction.
Paul encourages us to ‘work out your own salvation’. Philippians 2:12. Working out our salvation means surrendering and letting God mold us.We have a treasure in hearts of clay and the power comes from God. 2 Corinthians 4:7.
We are the keeper, guardian, custodians of our own hearts. We can’t get to salvation on someone else’s coattails. It is our job to monitor what goes into our heart. We need to let God heal our hearts.
Do not let anything come in or flow out of our hearts that is not pleasing to God. Be careful what you let through your eye gate and ear gate, especially in this world of social media. Guard your heart, monitor it.
“Faith comes from hearing” the word of God. Romans 10:17. Monitor what comes in!
Keep your heart with all diligence. Do not spend time with negatives and things that drag you down. Maintain custody and vigilance over your heart. Make sure the things you watch and listen to are what is important in your walk with God.
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight.” Psalm 19:14. Ask God, “check me out, search my heart.” Ask God to change you. Admit if your attitude is wrong. The attitude is the aroma of the heart.
Cains offering was rejected by God because of his attitude. He went on to kill his brother in anger. Genesis 4:1-8. Sin is crouching at your door. A bad attitude is a trap to wrong doing and considered scandal in the Bible. Matthew 18:7.
Sometimes we take offense too easily because we are not guarding our hearts. If we allow anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness in our hearts, then we need a change.
We each know people who live from hurt hearts and people who live out of joyful hearts. Your life is not contingent on what someone else did to you. It is contingent on what you allow God to do in you.
Do you have a right heart? How do you handle conflict? How do you handle things not going your way?
Surrender to God – first for salvation, then for a positive life attitude.
I believe the Spirit sent me to this song (new to me) today: Different.
Proverbs 4:23 NIV
“23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Psalm 19:14 NIV
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Lord, please guide me to guard my heart and keep it surrendered to You.
