Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
The Human Heart
Our hearts pump at a rate of 60-100 beats per minute (AHA). Though weighing only 300 grams on average, a healthy heart pumps 7,600 litres of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. In layman terms, every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a single lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back. A healthy heart can do amazing things, but in the same way, if it malfunctions, the whole body shuts down. The same could be said of our spiritual heart. In scripture, the word heart represents the centre of our emotions, thinking, and reasoning.
The heart is the command centre of our lives. Many people today are intentionally taking care of their nature. They wake up early, do exercises, trim fat from their diet, they have regular cholesterol checks to keep their cardiovascular system in peak condition. However, their spiritual heart is frail. We have become so preoccupied with the temporary that we seldom think of eternity. We do not read the bible anymore; our prayers are full of requests to God to make our lives pain-free. And as a result, by the time we go to church, our minds are not set on things above but other things. If all we get from living for Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years of comfort, then we will miss out on what eternity holds (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Believe In Your Heart
In our spiritual walk, it is in the heart that life proceeds. We must watch out that this fountain is not sealed up or cut off. It is not enough for us to believe in our minds. Romans 10:9 says “that if you shall confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart.” This scripture then means that what we believe in our heart affects how we live more than what we believe in our minds. Out of the heart, all the issues of life spring forth.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things (Matthew 12:35). The writer speaks as if a person’s life is a flowing spring that originates from the heart. Issues of life that springs from your heart include the following; character, faith, and service. A persons’ character answers the question of what God thinks of the person and how they feel about themselves. The second facet is faith, the question of what a person believes can never be fully answered away from their heart (Mark 12:29).
Wellspring Of Life
Then the last issue is that of service. We live to make a difference in other people’s lives and the world. This issue answers what we came to do here on earth, the reason for our existence; let us diligently guard our hearts. We must watch to put away habits and decisions that can cause our hearts to malfunction.
King James Version (KJV)
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
New International Version (NIV)
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
New American Bible (NASB)
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
The Living Bible (TLB)
“Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life.”