"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."- Proverbs4:23 (NLT)
The Bible verse that I started this blog with is a very familiar verse, but lately I've been understanding it in a new way. I have been understanding it in a way that pertains to Godly relationships and waiting on God's time. A relationship/courtship is not something one enters into on superficial grounds because something fragile is involved and that thing is a woman's heart. Studying the above Scripture and thinking about my heart made me search deeper about what exactly my heart means. From it I learned/am learning that the heart controls personal matters, relationship matters, life decisions, trust, and eternity. This is the reason why, before it is given away, we must first make sure that it is being given to the right person who knows what exactly they are receiving and understands the instruction manual that accompanies it: FRAGILE! Handle With Care.
I began to break down Proverbs 4:23 starting with the very first word and phrase. In the King James Version, the Bible says "Keep thy heart" which means to hold on to, to be faithful to, or to act fittingly in relation to something. The New Living Translation says "guard your heart" which means to protect from harm, as if watching over. I began to understand that God is instructing us to be jealous over our heart and to see it as something valuable enough that it needs its own security and protection program to ensure that it is safe. The next phrase says " with all diligence" or "above all else". We are to make protecting our hearts a priority, in fact, the highest priority, above everything else. That means going above and beyond to make sure that nothing that is of potential harm comes near your heart or gets past the security of your heart. The last phrase of Proverbs4:23 says "for out of it are the issues of life" or "for it determines the course of your life". Now the Bible specifies why it is that we must protect our hearts! Our hearts contain the very things that will determine our entire life plus eternity. With our hearts, we trust God (Proverbs 3:5) which teaches us to trust God with all of our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. For everlasting life, though we confess it with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, we must believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We plan our life in our heart, though the Lord directs our paths (Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21). In order to see God, our hearts must be pure (Psalm24:4) and God blesses those whose hearts are pure (Matthew 5:8). Most importantly, we love with our hearts. The Bible tells us to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts (Luke 10:27).
With all the responsibilities of the heart, why wouldn't we want to protect it? It's like your bank account PIN number or the password to your underground treasure. You do not want any-ole-body having access to such valuable things. This is a single woman's heart. It is valuable. A woman seeks to be found by a man that understands this very fact. A man that can not comprehend the gravity of a woman's heart cannot be in possession of one. If you find a woman whose heart you desire, ask yourself if you are trustworthy enough, by God's standards, to hold her heart. A Godly woman will want a Godly man. The love a woman desires is that "Jesus-Type" love. What this means is an unconditional love that reminds the woman of the love she has found in Christ. The Bible commands " Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). But this is the part that caught my attention when studying this. The same Bible commands " wives submit unto your husbands as unto the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22). The word that caught my attention is "submit". Proverbs 4:23 was just telling us to keep our hearts, and here it is saying to submit!! This means that part of our submission is the submission of our hearts!! So this goes back to making sure that who we decide to give our heart is the right man, a Godly man that knows how to handle it. We submit to him and he loves us back with his heart. This is the correct transaction of hearts!
Ladies, do not be in a hurry to give out what is so valuable without first testing the fruits of the receiver and consulting the One who holds all hearts, including the hearts of kings. To my men, do not be in a rush to receive a woman's heart, until you are serious and have sought the face of God about it and asked for the grace to handle that which you are given. But if you have sought God's face, and he instructs you to pursue a particular woman, you are blessed for the Bible says "he that finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from God" (Proverbs18:22). A woman's heart is a good thing and that's why it is guarded for Mr. Right.....not Mr.Right-Now. Mr. Right-Now should not and will not play with what isn't rightfully his(my heart). I thank God that Mr. Right is not looking to play at all because he is ready to love and protect what is his. When he comes, I'll give him my heart and be his heart. Until then, this heart is guarded.
Yorkamazing <3
'Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeeFeBlogs
Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/yorkamazing
'Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeeFeBlogs
Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/yorkamazing
T.M.V Songs of Solomon 8:4
"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."
WOW Fefe!!! This is really good,it spoke to me. Keep up the good work. It is really good to seeing christian ladies waiting on God. Awesome Blog!
ReplyDeleteThank you! To God be the glory! As young Christian women, we have to encourage each other to let ourselves know that we are not alone in the journey towards Godly relationships. I find encouragement also from your comment! Thank you!
ReplyDelete