There is a saying: "As he thinks in his heart, so is he." Growing up with that proverb in mind created a sense of awareness within me.
You may be wondering why I brought that up. It is simple: we will be dealing with the same concept but from an instructive standpoint: Guard your heart with diligence.
The instruction often comes this way: "Above all else, guard your heart." In this message, we will examine this statement to help you understand why it is necessary and how to do it.
(Meanwhile, have you read our previous message, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things? If not, you should give it a read!)
Guard Your Heart Scripture
Several Bible verses speak about guarding the heart, but the one that instructs us to do so "with all diligence" or "above all else" is Proverbs 4:23.
Below are the renderings of the verse in five well-known translations:
Proverbs 4:23 KJV: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 AMP: “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 NASB: “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 WEB: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 NIV: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Note the phrasing in each version; they help us understand the weight of what the verse is saying. One phrase is common in all translations: Keep or guard your heart.
But what does that actually mean? Stay with me.
What Does "Guard Your Heart" Mean?
The Hebrew word translated as "guard" is the word Natsar (נצר). It means to observe, watch over, keep from dangers, or preserve. It refers to keeping something safe from danger.
"Your heart" is a translation from the word lib-be-ḵā (לבך). In Hebrew thought, this refers to your mind, will, and inner self. It has everything to do with your thoughts, emotions, and conscience.
The words translated as "above all else" or "with all diligence" come from Mik-kāl and Miš-mār.
- Mik-kāl: Means "more than all" or "above every."
- Miš-mār: Refers to a prison, a guard post, or confinement. It implies limiting access, like a security checkpoint.
A better understanding of these terms together is to prioritize the safety of your mind above everything else.
Therefore, to guard your heart means to watch over, protect, or preserve your mind from danger.
The Secret Service Analogy
In the United States, the Secret Service is the authorized body responsible for the protection of the President. They are his bodyguards, and they watch over him "above all else."
Why? Because if the President falls, the nation is shaken. They are the guards of the presidency, just as you must be the guard of your own soul. In your case, it is your heart that you are protecting.
The question now is: Why do you need to guard your heart so strictly?
Why You Need To Guard Your Heart Above All Else
Take note of this: You are your own boss. You are responsible for what goes in and comes out of you.
Returning to my story about the US Secret Service, you may ask: Why do they watch over the President above all? The reason is simple: the President is the number one person in the country, responsible for decisions that move the nation forward or backward. His safety is a national priority.
If the leader of a nation is in the lion's den, they are exposed to threats that could influence their decision-making. Without a dedicated guard to guarantee their safety, the nation is likely to fall. The safety of the "head" assures the security of the body.
Two things to take away:
- Your heart is the president, and you are its security provider.
- Your heart is the head that leads and you are the body that it leads.
The point I am making is this: You are responsible for watching over your mind because everything you do flows from it. As the King James Version says, "For out of it are the issues of life."
The "Issues of Life"
The phrase "out of it" comes from the Hebrew word mim-men-nū (ממנו), meaning "proceeding from."
The word "issues" is translated from tō-w-ṣā-’ō-wṯ (תוצאות). This is a noun meaning result, outcome, or product.
- Translation: Your life is a product of your mind.
The Hebrew word translated as "life" is Chayim (חיים). It refers to your livelihood, your days on earth, and your vitality.
You can understand the dynamic this way: You should guard your heart with all diligence because your life experiences are primarily a product of your mindset. As the proverb says, "As he thinks in his heart, so is he."
Does this mean every random thought affects your life? Not necessarily. It is more about what you allow to settle in your mind, the thoughts you dwell on.
Initially, a thought may seem harmless. But over time, you will find yourself replicating your thoughts in reality. Selfish, evil, and sinful thoughts will battle against good ones. For instance, you could be thinking about how to get ahead at the detriment of others, or entertaining immoral thoughts that lead to addiction.
Little do we know that these are threats to our very existence. That is why you need to protect yourself.
How To Guard Your Heart With All Diligence
The greatest battles in the world take place in the mind, and many people lose the fight. They lose either because they refuse to guard their hearts or they do not know how.
Years ago, I wrote a book titled Three Things To Consider In Life Plus Their Influencers. The "things" included what you see, hear, and think.
To guard your heart, you must focus on the influencers, because the outside influences the inside. Here are two practical ways to protect your mind:
- Pay attention to what you see: Watch the moral, discard the immoral.
- Pay attention to what you hear: Listen to truth, discard the corrupt.
A teacher of mine, Engineer Desmond Ewa, once told us, “What you behold constantly, you become.” It is not just about the picture you see or the music you hear; it is about the aftereffects they have on your soul.
If we go back to Genesis, we see that mankind fell because of what they saw and heard. Not much has changed, but you can be the change.
Let us return to the anchor verse of this discussion and see the context:
"My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil."
— Proverbs 4:20–27 WEB
To live a righteous life, you must guard your heart by submitting your sight and hearing to the Word of God. As the Psalmist said:
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” — Psalm 119:11
And as Paul concluded in Philippians 4:8, we must fix our minds on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, and lovely. Think about these things.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat does it mean to guard your heart?To guard your heart means to prioritize the safety of your mind above all else. It involves watching over, protecting, and preserving your thoughts and emotions from dangers or negative influences. What is the Hebrew meaning of guard your heart?The Hebrew word for guard is Natsar (נצר), which means to observe, watch over, or keep from danger. The word for heart is lib-be-ḵā (לבך), which refers to your mind, thoughts, and emotions. Together, they mean you should protect your inner self and conscience from outside threats. Why is it important to guard your heart with all diligence?You need to guard your heart because your life is a product of your mind. As Proverbs 4:23 states, "out of it are the issues of life," meaning that everything you do and experience flows from your inner thoughts and mindset. What is the Bible verse about guarding your heart?The main scripture is Proverbs 4:23. It is rendered in the NIV as, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it," and in the KJV as, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." How do you practically guard your heart?You can guard your heart by deliberately selecting what you pay attention to. This means filtering the "influencers," such as what you see and what you hear, and choosing to focus on moral and wholesome content while discarding the immoral. |
