In my opinion, there is no greater sound than laughter. There is no better picture than one of my family. There is no place I’d rather be than with my girls in our backyard. No place closer to my heart than where Den’s love has resided for more than 17 years. My heart begs, literally begs for this kind of love. It is what I live for. It’s what I think, pray and talk about most. I can’t imagine a single day without giving and accepting such love, such a gift. Love with all of it’s goodness (for lack of a better word) however, also involves being vulnerable. Vulnerability and guarding are polar opposites and yet God, whose vary nature is love, gives the command to guard our hearts: “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23. Hummm. Yep, I didn’t quite get it either. I wonder if you, like me, have interpreted Proverbs 4:23, as a command to keep your distance from possible hurt and rejection, in hopes that your heart will remain intact and healthy. It sounds a bit like a caution of sorts, don’t you think? “Watch out! Life sucks and you will get hurt. Your heart is good, so be careful who and what you share it with.” This has been my interpretation for years and just about anyone who has experienced an ounce of pain would readily agree.
There’s a problem with this interpretation however. Protecting our heart so much that joy can’t seep through is miserable. It’s lonely. It’s not at all what God intended for us. C.S. Lewis referred to this life style of protection as being locked up in a casket of selfishness. Yes, it’s safe to the risk of pain, but not to damnation. “The only place outside of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is hell.” A fierce; yet truthful pill to swallow, isn’t it?
“Guard your heart”, a pestering phrase these past weeks. So much so that out of annoyance I decided to dig a bit deeper into the meaning of the phrase. Guarding our heart means “to observe, to preserve, to maintain things entrusted to us, especially keeping the truths of God in both actions and in mind”. We need, yes, need to protect the truths hidden in our hearts from hurtful, destructive forces. (i.e. Satan) Guard and nurture the good, the love, the wisdom that’s already in your heart, repel evil. Simple sounding enough and yet the importance of its warning is of high priority for our own good.
We love because He first loved us! What an amazing gift. Protect it, nurture it and share it. It’s what Proverbs 4:23 is all about!
