In this season of life that we find ourselves in, it is critical for us to guard our hearts. I have always heard this phrase—‘guard your heart’ but to me, it never really made any sense, as I did not understand what it meant. How does one guard their heart? Isn’t the heart protected by the rib cage already? What else do I need to do to protect it?
Our heart even if it is one of the most vital organs which pumps blood throughout our entire body when the bible speaks about the heart, it is not necessarily referring to the physical organ but it is speaking about or minds/spirits, those things that really define who we are as humans.
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“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23
The job of a guard or a protector is to keep evil from infiltrating whatever they have to protect. The guard through their expertise of dealing with all sorts is able to discern between what is good and what is evil, so they know what to let in and what to stop from gaining access. That is what God has called us to do with our hearts. Out of our hearts or minds, determine the course of our lives. If your heart is broken, then it affects your mood and even how you interact with others. If you are happy, you tend to be more friendly and open. So because of how delicate the heart is, and how it affects us every day, it is important for us to be mindful of what we let in and even what we let out.
It is very easy for us to lose heart and to live in constant fear, because of the stories we keep hearing about the things happening around us. The media is constantly spoon-feeding us with sad news coming out from the ends of the earth. People are full of fear and are beginning to share that fear amongst friends, family, co-workers and even strangers. How then do we stay sane in a world driven by so much chaos right now?
Below I share how I have managed to guard my heart so far:
Focus on God’s word—in times like this, we need something that is stable, and something that doesn’t change or adjust with the times, which is the word of God. If the whole world wants to go into disarray, we can trust that God’s word is going nowhere, it is steadfast. The bible says that it is true and forever settled in heaven. In God’s word, you will find everything that you need, from hope to joy to peace and to encouragement. You will also discover that those who came before us faced similar situations and God came to their rescue. If you don’t know what is available to you, you are going to freak out like the rest of the world. I found and continue to find solace in God’s word, regardless of what I hear in the media.
Rid yourselves from negative news—I am so brutal when it comes to this one, I do not entertain anyone who wants to share any conspiracy theory with me, or forward any message of doom and gloom to my phone. As soon as I spot any of those on my timeline, I mute or block them immediately. Whatsapp messages which carry such news are automatically deleted. I don’t care what the Chinese are doing or what the French are planning. Of what good would that information do to me? If not cause me to live in fear?
So I block, delete and then hide in the word of God. I love this passage of scripture (Hebrews 13:5) which says—“For He, Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you, so we may boldly say—the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Psalm 31:20 also says—“You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.” When you arm yourself with God’s word, it dissipates fear.
Turn off the news/social media and spend time with God—this has also been of great help to me. Rather than consume CNN 24/7, or any other news outlet, I make sure I read my bible and spend time praying and meditating on the things God has promised me. In difficult times, one way we can hope for brighter days ahead is to remember the things God has spoken to us in the past which He has not yet fulfilled.
God will always perform His word. I am reminded of the story of Abraham found in the book of Romans which says—“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” What has He promised you? Hold on to those very things for dear life. David put it this way–remember the word which you have caused thy servant to hope. All those things God promised me, which He hasn’t yet performed has helped me to stay sane, believing that the end is not now.
Don’t listen to those who have only bad things to say—yes this virus is real and has claimed more than 18% of the total population of the people infected, and it seems like the numbers are on a daily rise. One thing you have to bear in mind is that out of the 1.2M people infected, over 250,000 people have recovered, and over 850,000 are in mild condition (hopefully they move from mild to full recovery), while about 44000 people have it bad at the moment. More and more people are recovering than those that are actually losing their lives. If everyone can just listen and stay home, for the time being, the rate at which the virus is spreading will reduce, hence decreasing the death rate. If all you get from people or the news is bad reports, I advise that you stay away from them, for your sanity.
If you keep feeding yourselves with negative news all the time, you will be full of fear and would go crazy. Isaiah 26:3 says this about God—“you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” If you want to guard your hearts this season, think about God, meditate on His Word, and He will make sure you dwell in peace, even in a chaotic world.
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About The Author: Evi Idoghor is a Christian, writer, and content creator on Letstalknationblog.com. She is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Consumed by her love for writing and desire to effect change, she launched her online platform––Let’s Talk Nation––to tap into her creativity and start meaningful conversations that would make a difference around the world.
Most of her writing has been influenced by her time spent in America, where she lived for about 11 years. Also, she lived in Nigeria and South Korea and currently loves traveling the world while learning about other fascinating cultures. You can find her on all social media platforms with @eviidoghor.
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