Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” This is where we start for any desired or necessary change because this is where every single thing in your life originates. Your heart. Any issue you have is from a heart issue. Any battle you fight within is a heart battle.
NLT: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
KJ: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
It’s so easy to think we need to start by working on our habits or change our circle of influence, but the first and most important thing we must do is check our heart. Otherwise, it’s like putting new rims on a car with a blown engine. What good is that? What good is the rhinestone steering wheel cover when half of your engine fell out on the street? Engine first, then the other stuff can follow. Without the engine, your car is absolutely no good. Without a healed heart, all these other changes are temporary.
The Hebrew word for heart is Lev. It means your inner self, your core. It is your control central. There is no Hebrew word for mind, only heart. This is the source of your thoughts, your desires and your actions. If the heart is damaged, every aspect of your life is negatively affected.
Why should you guard your heart? Because the enemy is attacking it. Plain and simple, your inner being is his target. Girl, you can have great hair and he doesn’t care. You can have fabulous legs or a perfect smile and it’s of no concern to him. But that heart of yours is a real issue for Satan. If he can damage your heart, he twists your thoughts. If he can damage your heart, he corrupts your desires. If he can damage your heart, he has you acting as his puppet.
And that’s why scripture says ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART. Your heart is the most important part of you. Everything in your life is flowing from your heart. If your heart is pure, then your thoughts are pure, your desires are pure and your actions are pure. But if it is polluted, every thing else is polluted and eventually ruined.
THIS IS A HEART ISSUE. It was always a heart issue. And it is always a heart issue. Change the heart and everything that flows from it naturally changes.
How do you change your heart? That’s a really big job. That’s an overhaul you’re not equipped for. That’s why God did it for you. Ezekiel 36:26-27, God says, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
A new heart comes from God. It is his gift to us through Jesus. We don’t earn a new heart, we simply accept it.
The new heart offered by God is healed of all past damages. It is no longer wounded. It has been made brand new.
The new heart offered by God is not reminded of it’s past wrongs. It is not weighed down by shame or chained by guilt. It is free to beat without burden. It has been made new.
Now, protect this new heart God is offering you because the enemy sure wants to poke at it. A poked at heart thinks negative thoughts of worry and fear. A poked at heart is overwhelmed and uncertain. A poked at heart beats shallow and plays little. And let’s be clear, that’s not God’s desire for the heart Jesus died to give you.
If you’re struggling with an addiction, whether it be an addiction to alcohol, addiction to your phone, or addiction to attention from men – it’s a heart issue. Honey, your heart has been poked at. Either you’re functioning from an old heart that’s never been made new by God, or you’ve allowed the gift of your new heart to be bombarded by the attacks of Satan.