Guard Your Heart
I was laying in bed a few nights ago and heard something literally climb on my roof. It went from one end of the house to the other and back around again.
I thought the chimney caps that were installed last year, after I discovered two small raccoons in my basement fireplace, remedied this issue (And let me just tell you, those were some expensive house guests). But hearing the weight of whatever it was, going to wherever it was going to, tells me that what I thought fixed the problem, didn't. Honestly, from my vantage point I couldn’t figure out how this thing was getting on my roof in the first place and where it was making its home. I couldn’t see the vulnerable places.
As I was trying to figure out, at 3 o'clock in the morning, how I could fix this critter problem I had another thought--are we aware of our own vulnerable places, spiritually?
Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to
“watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (AMP).
Some of us, including myself, are living our lives exposed to the spiritual critters that want to make a home in our hearts—fear, complaining, doubt, unbelief, shame, comparison, etc.; they are desperate to set up shop. We are often left confused as to why we keep experiencing these invasions, we do not understand why we are dealing with the same issues. All the while we are failing to keep watch over hearts.
We tune in to anything and everything.
We hang around anyone and everybody.
We sing along to all of them, and then some.
We talk about each and every one.
We go this way and that.
We have no restrictions, no boundaries to what we allow to settle in.
Culture tells us to do what we please because YOLO, however, the Kingdom tells us the contrary— everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12). So, we have to keep watch.
Sidenote: This is simply not about behavior modification but a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to be a “pest” inspector and clean out all that is hindering us AND us being attentive to His voice when those things try to creep back in.
So how do you know where your heart is vulnerable and what do you do to guard it? Here are three Ps to take you through the process—
Pray—Psalm 139:23 says: “Search me [thoroughly], Oh God, and know my heart…” we need to pray the difficult prayers that grant God permission to look at the condition of our hearts, He knows anyway. This evaluation is for us. So as we pray that God search us at our spirtitual core we have to be ready to accept what He reveals and be compelled to repent.
Pay attention to your triggers—what are some things that seem to always throw you off? I’ve started to take note of when I feel the most disengaged spiritually or what leaves my heart open to depression or complaining. For example, scrolling on social media often causes me to feel ungrateful and questioning why God hasn’t moved in my life (when has actually already done far more than I could ever ask or think). What are your triggers?
Plan—after you pay attention to what invites those spiritual critters into your heartspace, once you have prayed for the Holy Spirit to do a complete heart inspection, now, it’s time to plan. You have to plan your boundaries. Do you need to set limits on social media? or how often you hang out with old friends? Do you need to cut off the “Neflix and Chill” dates? Do you need to trash the sage and crystals? You can’t know your triggers, ask God for revelation and then continue down the same path. You have to patch up your vulnerable spots (and I’m talking to myself too).
I know I need to call an expert to figure out what is living in my roof. Because of their experience, they would be able to find all of the nooks and crannies that could be vulnerable to a critter creeping in. They would also provide the best remedy to protect that space from intruders. Likewise, when the enemy tries to creep into my heart to deflect me from my journey with Christ— I must pray, I must pay attention, and I must plan how to best guard my heart.
👑
Keep walking royal,
Reese
