On Guard

So I am currently reading the book "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge. I know, it was published two years ago already, and many of you may have already read it, but I haven't. At the turn of every page I find a new idea or insight that makes me have to stop reading, because I have to let it sink in and ponder it for a while.

In the very first chapter, there is a section called The Heart of a Woman. Now I'm not going to repeat every idea that was laid out there, or give all my thoughts on the subject (because then I would never stop writing). But I am going to mention the verse that was referenced there, and the ponderings it created.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Prov. 4:23).

Normally, when I read this verse, I think of two things.
1. Guarding my heart means that I'm not letting anything bad into my heart.
2. If bad stuff does get into my heart, it means that my heart was unguarded.

But then a different idea occurred to me: what if my heart is guarded all the time, but I'm guarding against the wrong things?

I imagine my heart as a castle. I own that castle, and I've appointed myself to tell the guards who can come in, and who has to stay out. For some reason, I've been tricked, and I don't recognize my enemies, so I allow them in, and I let them stay. Things like darkness, lies, anger, fear, and doubt start to fill my domain until I can hardly recognize it.

I'm so blinded, that when the King of the castle arrives, I keep Him out!! I'm ashamed at what has happened to His home, and I don't want to let Him see it. I've become accustomed to the darkness, so I'm afraid of the light. I've made a new kind of home, and for Him to come in and tear it down, well...even if it's for the better, it's still going to hurt. In essence, I've told my castle guards to make sure that evil doesn't get out, and that goodness doesn't get in.

Well, I need to tell my guards a new message. Or maybe I just need new guards! Or maybe I should relinquish the decision-making to the One who knows all, and knows what's best, and let Him decide who to let in, and who to keep out. If my heart is filled with darkness, what kind of life is going to be "springing" out of my "well"? Icky, bitter, gross-looking, bad-smelling life. Or no life at all.

Well I want life!! I want lots of life, and I want it to look good and feel good (and smell good?). I want to be filled with the kind of life that has Jesus in control, and because my life is so centered on Christ, it starts to look less like me and more like Him.

So by all means, follow Proverbs 4:23, guard your heart. But make sure your guards are doing their job. Make sure they're taking their orders from Above.