Guard My Heart

 January 7, 2026

Proverbs 4:23

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

According to the Bible, our heart is basically the control center of our whole life. Heart in the scriptures embodies our thoughts, our emotions, our reactions, our choices. The biblical implication is that whatever we let settle in our heart will eventually show up in how we live. Guarding our heart is not about closing ourselves off to others or building walls of defensiveness. It’s about paying attention. It’s about recognizing what helps you grow and what slowly drains the life out of you.

Here in today's verse God invites us to treat our inner life like something precious, because it is. God calls us to be honest with ourselves, to "stay awake" spiritually, and to protect the new life God is growing in us. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it", means to practice a sacred stewardship  of healthy boundaries.

Let's do a little "Heart Check" today.

Take five quiet minutes today, no distractions, no devices, no noise, just you and God.

Ask yourself: What’s shaping my heart right now?

To answer this question you may need to take note of the things that leave you spiritually tired, anxious, or distracted. 

For example, one unhealthy influence in my daily routine has been to grab my Ipad and start scrolling through the top news events of the day. Generally, this practice creates anxiety, anger, and an overwhelming unsettledness before my feet hit the floor. In recent days I have been trying to replace this practice with something that feeds my soul, read some Scripture, engage in prayer, or some other practice that is life-giving. 

What I am finding is that "Small shifts can make a big difference!"

Pick one daily habit that strengthens your heart and commit to it for the rest of this week. It could be a Bible verse each morning, listening to a worship song on your commute to work or daily errands, perhaps a five‑minute prayer walk, or a moment of gratitude before you roll out of bed. Give this a try and see if "Small shifts can make a big difference" for you too.

Let's Pray

God, help me guard my heart with wisdom and grace. Remove anything that doesn’t belong, and fill me with Your truth, peace, and presence. Amen.

Let this be the year your heart grows more aligned with God’s voice.