With the advent of social media, you can take in so many things from different sources all at once. You can get multiple pieces of advice from multiple people on one matter, in a few seconds. This is not always a bad thing and it’s not always a good thing either.

The internet exposes us to all kinds of news, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Many times, these things we internalize end up influencing our opinions, thought processes, and ultimately, our nature. As Christians, we know that we are not to internalize just anything. There is a standard for those things which we ought to let into our mind. Today’s blog post will walk us through that and help us see the importance of guarding our hearts.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Pro. 4:23 NIV

The scripture says that everything we do flows from our hearts. What this tells us is that whatever we let into our hearts, eventually forms our actions. Amnon had for so long let the idea of being intimate with his sister dwell in his heart. He pondered on it so much that it even got him sick. Eventually, we see how all of that –with advice from an ungodly source –led him to commit an abominable act. (2 Sam. 13:1-22)

Computer students would say “garbage in, garbage out” as a way of expressing the way a computer works. That is, whatever you input is what it outputs. It is the same way with our hearts. We cannot feed it impure, vile, and corrupted things and expect pure and wonderful results. The scripture even tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7). We act on and ultimately become what we have internalized. 

What type of information and prophecy are you internalizing? Is it pure? Is it of good report? Stay up to date on the happenings around you but don’t internalize them. Guard your heart! Many Christians have reclined into fear and fallen into the trap of the enemy because of how easily they chew up any piece of information. Some others have given themselves to depression and anxiety because they made a habit of thinking on things that are not good and lovely. 

It is not until a thought is of sin that it becomes evil. Christians categorize only those thoughts that imply sin, as evil. But whatever has the potential to cause you to sin, whatever has the potential to make you afraid or depressed is an evil thought. And you, as the temple of the living God, must guard your heart against it. (1 Cor. 3:16)  

Some other versions of Proverbs 4:23 tell us to guard our hearts with due diligence. As in, do so like your life depends on it…because it does. And the best way to do this is to live in the word of God. Even when you hear faith-staggering news, when you know what God’s unfailing word has said concerning the matter, it will not deter you. Joshua was close to the word of God. This is obvious because Joshua speaks about meditating on God’s word day and night (Josh. 1:8). By so doing, he was guarding his heart. It’s easy to see why he, alongside Caleb, was so dauntless even when he saw terrifying things (Num. 14:1-10). 

After a tiring day of seeing and hearing all the evil and polluting things of this world, cleanse your mind with the word of God. Secure your heart with what scripture has to say. When your heart is constantly tuned in to the news of heaven, it can’t get corrupted. 

Moreover, we are in the last days. The only way to preserve ourselves from falling prey to end-time doctrines and prophets is by guardian our hearts with the truth we have known beforehand, through the scriptures. The Holy Spirit is present to help us in these times but we must take steps that show our intentionality.

The scripture gives us a template for the things we should internalize. Screening the things we let into our hearts is the first step to guarding our hearts. 

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Philippians 4:8 KJV 

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Prayer: Dear Lord, may the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight in Jesus’ name. Amen.