Guard Your Heart, Like a Ninja!

King Solomon in the Old Testament of the Bible was a wise man. We usually say he was the wisest man, however, I have noticed that some of his instruction came from his dad, King David. You know, the one who killed Goliath, lions, bears, and committed adultery with Bathsheba? David had some wisdom, but seems like he threw caution to the wind sometimes. (By the way, quick history lesson, Bathsheba was Solomon's mom. Just proves that God restores us, even when we mess up.)

God said to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7, "Ask for whatever you want Me to give you."

Part of his answer is in verse 10, "Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of Your's?"

Solomon must have seen his dad's mistakes and wanted to be a better King. 

He wrote several books in the Bible. The one that is full of wisdom is Proverbs.

Today I was reading in Chapter 4 and came across this nugget of truth that I've known about for years. Chapter 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Last week, I talked about how what you say flows from your heart.(Matthew 15: 18) So, this is a way to watch that. Guard your heart. 

It does not mean to build walls around your heart and not let anyone in. 

It just means be careful with who and what you let in. 

If you are constantly allowing garbage in your heart, that's what you will get out. 

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. But be careful who and what you allow to influence your life. 

I used to be very legalistic. I would rarely listen to "secular" music, wouldn't drink a drop of alcohol, and would not watch any R rated movies (except the Passion of the Christ, which is just hypocritical).

I have realized that I can enjoy life, but still guard my heart. I enjoy music I can dance to. Toby Mac is about the only Christian artist I have found that is dance worthy. 

The Bible does not say "Thou shalt not drink alcohol." It does say, in Ephesians 5:18, NIRV, "Don't fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit." There are some people who can not handle even one drink. In that case, stay away from it. 

As for R rated movies, just be careful. If you have a problem with lust, do not watch movies with sex scenes. Braveheart is rated R for violence. Everyone needs to know that quote of "They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!" (I'm a sucker for true stories too, and William Wallace was a real person in history.)

When it comes to people... pray and ask God to help you have discernment and wisdom. Do not let people in your life that hurt you. You are loved and do not deserve to be treated bad. Toxic relationships are not good for you. Surround yourself with people who care, lift you up, and encourage you. Not people who bring you down, make you feel bad, and treat you poorly.

Are you guarding your heart?