Heart

I find it amazing how easily the human heart can grow hard or cold if we aren’t careful. I’m convinced that Proverbs 4:23 is about guarding your heart from more than just having your heart broken, but from leading us down a road to where we could break someone else’s heart. I mean that more than just in a relationship with someone. I mean it with all people. We aren’t really a reflection of God’s love if our hearts are cold towards people. We’re supposed to unconditionally love all people. We’re supposed to have compassion for all people.

I recently had someone tell me that during her marriage, her now ex-spouse told her that if she wanted unconditional love then she needed to go God or her parents instead of him. As far as I understand, this was a solid Christian man at one point. I know a woman who was once called by her former youth pastor the most faithful and committed young lady he had known, and now she has grown cold towards people that she once loved, and looks to please only herself. I remember how I used to be. I never meant my ex any harm or anyone else for that matter, but at one point, my heart grew colder towards people. I stopped loving…I grew selfish. As a result, I lost much, and I lost so many opportunities to build others. I have years of lost opportunities where I could have encouraged so many people.

Hardening your heart doesn’t happen overnight. It’s slow. It’s a process. Do you really think that Pharaoh’s heart grew cold overnight? The Bible notes that God hardened his heart, but if you put that in perspective, if your heart is filled with the love of God, it’s not going to harden. Solomon started his reign in Israel with his eyes upon the Lord. When he began focusing on the world is when things began unraveling for him. It’s impossible to have the loving heart God desires us to have when we don’t have relationship with him. Look at Proverbs 4:23 again:

“Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.” (NIV)

It is the wellspring of life. Our lifeblood comes from God and his love pours out of us. We need to guard that wellspring. We can’t let it be drained by sin and selfishness. I saw a great quote on Facebook this morning that my friend Eric Obert noted: “The opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s selfishness.” I wonder where he got that quote from, but it’s true. So guard your heart from those things that may hurt you, but also guard it from the things that may prevent you from sharing the love of God with others…remember His love is unconditional.