LIFE FLOWS FROM THE INSIDE OUT

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

"Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life." (ISV)

The heart is the wellspring of life from where things flow. It is the source and the beginning of where the issues of life emanate from. Just as spring is the source where water flows, so is the heart where everything we think of, imagine and act on flow from. If the  spring gets poisoned or polluted affecting the water, it spreads across and affects everyone and everything that comes in contact with it. Same thing applies to a poisoned heart. It affects the body, spirit, soul, everyone and everything it comes across. The hearts is the source of life through which we live. Life is filtered through the heart. It harbours whatever we store into it, good, bad, evil, worries, anxieties, hatred, love, compassion, empathy, love, peace, joy and so on and we reflect what we store in it. The heart gives back what we give to it and the true nature of our hearts is revealed in times of challenges. What you store in your heart overtime will reveal itself in times of difficulties and challenges. 

The Bible describes the heart as the core or central of our being, the essence of who we truly are and then gives us the nature of the heart.

THE NATURE OF THE HEART

WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND DISCERNMENT : Wisdom, understanding and discernment lies in the heart. Wisdom comes from our hearts and given to us by God.  "And let every wise hearted man among you come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded." (Exodus 35:10). "Wisdom rests in the heart of a man with understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools." (Proverbs 14:33). "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." Proverbs 2:10. For everyone who has wisdom, has discernment as well. In essence, the wise has discernment while the foolish ones can not discern. "The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving." (Proverbs 14:8). "The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps." (Proverbs 14:15). "One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless." (Proverbs 14:16).

MEMORY : Our deep and cherished memories are committed to the heart. "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." (Deuteronomy 4:9).

COURAGE: Courage and bravery is of the heart and resides in the heart. We are able to face difficulties or challenges and then overcome them because of the courage and bravery in our hearts. It also takes courage to speak the truth and bare your mind even in the midst of adversaries. The lack of courage has crippled so many dreams due to fear, doubts and insecurity. "For God has not given us the spirit of fear and timidity, but of power and love and of sound mind." (2nd Timothy 1:7). "Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24). "We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body." (2nd Corinthians 4:8-11

FAITH : Faith also resides in the heart. "We live by faith and not by sight" (2nd Corinthians 5:7).

HOW TO GUARD YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE

1. FORMING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS : The kind of friends you keep or relationships entered into can either help in guarding the heart or destroy it. The relationships you keep, can either influence you positively or negatively. The Bible says " Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." (1st Corinthians 15:33). We ought to be careful the kind of relationships we get into. Relationships that only take from you and not impact you positively is to be disengaged. Every relationship ought to be a two-way street relationship. It is a give and take thing. So what are you giving or taking from the relationships you are into? is your life impacted positively or negatively with the relationships you keep? healthy relationships are meant to impact each other. Guard your heart with the kind of relationships you keep. Having a relationship with God is a very sure way, in fact the surest way of guarding our hearts and we develop a sound relationship with God through His word. 

Read : TWO-WAY STREET RELATIONSHIP

2. DEVELOPING THE MIND : We develop our minds with the kinds of books we read, what we study, the kind of things we listen to or watch which form our beliefs. Our minds can only develop when we fill it with positive things giving us positive ideas and filling us with positive beliefs. The mind is a very powerful tool in guarding the heart. The more we develop our minds positively daily, the more we guard our hearts diligently. Or minds require constant developing to remain strong and healthy. No wonder Paul admonished in Romans 12:2 that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The ideas and beliefs in our heads when lived come with consequences either positively or negatively depending on the kinds of beliefs or ideas in your mind. 

3. THROUGH SOUND IMAGINATIONS : Through our imaginations come our thoughts that result into actions. Our imaginations are very powerful. If you want to succeed in life, you first must imagine your success which gradually leads to thoughts of how you want to succeed in what you do and then comes your actions where you put your imaginations and thoughts into display towards the achievement of your success. Our imaginations are also determined by what we see, hear or read. Most of us ignore our imaginations and then use it for entertainment purposes only by the kind of music we listen to or movies that we watch. Here and see what Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.. if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...think about such things." Most times we get passive with our imaginations. We don't stretch our imaginations. Life itself flows from our imaginations. Even when we have images running through our minds, we don't take the time to think about them to see if they can be used to our advantage or healthy for our minds. There are times we get negative imaginations running through our minds but because we don't take time to think about them, we don't change them to positive ones and it can affect our lives because we end up living what we imagine. If you want to have good success,  great relationships, a great marriage/home, success in your career and in what you do then have great and sound imaginations about them. Our lives flow from within and starts with our imaginations.  Your imagination is like a servant to you. It only does what you instruct it to do. Therefore, feed your imaginations with the desires of your heart. 



REASONS WHY WE SHOULD GUARD OUR HEARTS

1. THE HEART IS OF EXTREME VALUE : Your heart is the essence of who you are. It reveals the real you especially in times of difficulties and this is as a result of what has been stored in the heart. Our dreams, passions, and desires all live in our hearts. If you store in garbage, you get garbage from it and every part of your being (spirit, soul and body) becomes contaminated and eventually dies. 

2. THE HEART IS THE SOURCE OF ALL WE DO : King Solomon describes the heart as the wellspring of life. It is the essence of our being and the source of everything we do - our thoughts, words and actions. Our hearts overflow into thoughts, words and action. If a spring which is the source of water gets polluted or poisoned, it becomes toxic and dangerous for use. Same thing applies to the heart. If the heart gets contaminated or polluted, your thoughts, words and actions become toxic to not just your whole being, but to everyone around you.

3. THE HEART IS USUALLY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK : King Solomon admonished that above all else we guard our hearts with all diligence, that is, making it a top priority in guarding the heart because it is in constant attack. The heart comes in constant attack with worries, anxieties, temptations, lack of impatience, faith and hope, fears of failures, rejections, criticisms, goals not achieved etc. The heart is also under attack with an ever changing and evolving world in which we live where most people would do anything to live in a fast paced world making others seem like they aren't living. The world itself is a combat zone filled with so many casualties physically and spiritually. We can only withstand and overcome these challenges if only we guard our hearts with the right resources such as putting on the whole armour of God which are truth, righteousness, readiness for battle, faith, salvation, God's word and prayers. (Ephesians 6:10-18). All these are rooted in the heart and comes from the heart to withstand and overcome the attacks of the enemy, the challenges of this life and the difficulties the world throws at us. 

Life happens and is happening from the inside out. Every enemy we defeat happens from within, every battle won was already won from within, every goal achieved was already conceived in the heart before its manifestation. Every dream pursued and lived first lived in the heart before its overflow physically. Every emotion we feel and live flows from within. Our imaginations turn into thoughts, thoughts into emotions, emotions into words and words into actions which become the experience we get to live and life goes on, living from the inside out. 

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