Guard Your Mouth by Mayada Naami
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
(Luke 6:45 NIV)
In Proverbs 4:23, we are told, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” As I was reflecting on what it means to guard your heart, I remembered the verse in Luke 6:45 that says out of the mouth speaks what’s in the heart. When I put these 2 verses side by side, I had a clearer understanding of both verses. I believe we are instructed to guard our hearts because our emotions sometimes cause us to act in ways or say things we may later regret. I felt as if the Holy Spirit was essentially telling me to guard my mouth and to have self-control. I have been praying for years for the Lord to help me in that area. As I mature in Christ, I am learning not to express every emotion I feel. To “guard” does not mean to bar, seal, or build a wall around your heart. In the Hebrew, it literally means “to set a watchman over it.”
As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:30 NIV)
The Lord is the watchman that protects our soul. Scripture tells us to guard our heart by filtering our emotions, desires, thoughts, and responses or actions through His Word. He will shield our hearts and give us wisdom when we are faced with challenges. This does not mean that we won’t have pain, however, we can rejoice in the knowledge that trials and tribulations will lead us into a deeper knowledge of His heart. It is through a relationship with Jesus that our heart is transformed and the outward expression of our hearts, through our words and actions will begin to reflect Him. When we accept Jesus in our hearts, the Holy Sprit begins a good work in us.
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
What does guard your heart mean to you?
Reflect
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Prayer
Lord, help me to guard my heart so that I may speak words that are filtered through the Word of God. May You give me a new tender heart full of Your love and compassion so I may be a reflection of Your light in the world.