What Does The Bible Say About Guarding Your Heart?

King Solomon said in (Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23), “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Solomon knew what he was saying because he was wiser than any other man. We should also endeavor to be obedient to what God has said in His Word. Guarding your heart is an amazing commandment from the Lord, and when it says ‘guarding the heart’, the Bible really means guarding the inner core of a human being. The word ‘heart’ in this verse refers to your will, choices, desires, feelings, and thoughts.

Things That Can Make the Heart Strong

Our spiritual heart becomes stronger when we share love, joy, and peace with other people. Our hearts become joyful if we engage in Spiritually-filled activities. A strong heart is definitely achievable if you look around and think about the blessings we have. When we extend our love to others and become more selfless, our hearts rejoice. Great is the happiness of the heart when we are content and thankful for what the Lord has given us. By doing all these things, our hearts become stronger. If we participate in the communion of other believers, then we are making our hearts happy and strong. 

Apart from enjoying the company of other believers, it is also wise to invest our time in reading the Word of God. His Words are alive and can readily penetrate our hearts. The Bible is filled with incredible messages that can effectively uplift and encourage your heart. Wisdom and knowledge are both important when it comes to making our hearts healthy, happy, and strong. When we fill our hearts with messages from heaven, we feel joyful, so inspire your heart by reading the Bible, which is inspired by God. 

As we continue in faith, Holy God, our Father, can begin to take delight in our ways. When we receive His word in our hearts, we will walk in faith, which is how we get stronger in faith. Having more faith in God gives us a more resilient heart, one that can withstand trials, temptations, and obstacles. This is possible because Jesus has cleansed us from all the sins and wickedness that used to make our hearts weak and weary. It is also important to note that Jesus is the good shepherd (John 10:14), and knows how to preserve His flock. Faith is also the key to contentment, which means that walking in faith makes our hearts strong. When we continue to trust in God to provide for our needs (Hebrews 13:5), we strengthen our hearts. What a merciful and generous God who understands our needs and wants!

Loving and Forgiving

Godly love can make both our physical and spiritual heart healthy.  It’s like a power that slowly builds us up from the inside out. This is why Paul instructs us in (Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32) to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Being compassionate and forgiving others helps us guard and strengthen our hearts, as mentioned earlier in the epistle to the Ephesians. By being compassionate to other people, you are making your spiritual heart even healthier! This is because loving your neighbor pleases God, and whenever God is pleased, you’ll find joy and peace. Forgiving is also a great way of guarding your heart, since it frees us from anger, hatred, and pride. Keep in mind that the Lord detests everyone who is proud in their heart (Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5). We were never made for pride.

Lastly, we are guarding our hearts if we follow what Paul says in Philippians 4:8 (NIV), “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Dwelling on these things can make your heart not only healthy and strong, but also happy and satisfied.