On a recent mission trip to Barbados to work with the Windward Island School of Evangelism (WISE), I had the privilege of speaking at their Ladies Conference using the theme, “Heart Celebration.” Our theme verse for the conference was Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Even though I was in a different country with a different culture and traditions, I realized we all struggled with the same issues of the heart. I listened to stories of hurt and bitterness being reconciled through a relationship with God and the act of forgiveness. It was evident how all of these had to do with changes in the heart and it must begin with guarding our hearts.

What do we need to guard our hearts against? I compiled a list of some of the things we must guard our hearts against. The list is daunting, but the reality is, we must “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1Peter 5:8)

We must guard our hearts against…

Complacency, hardness of heart, hate, doubt, bitterness, helplessness, broken heart, rejection, negative thoughts, loneliness, false teaching, anger, jealously, comparison, social media, division envy, allowing the world to define us, cynicism, unworthiness, despair (the sky is falling mentality), selfishness, wanting more stuff, not trusting God, entitlement, politics, insecurity, pride, stubbornness, worry, fear and discouragement.

This is by no means a complete list, but it is a glimpse of how vigilant we must be in guarding our hearts and thoughts on a daily basis. The stakes are great. Lao Tzu once said a powerful quotation on the ramifications our thoughts can have…

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” -Lao Tzu

I have experienced and listened to women who have had a hard heart. This can be a result of hurt, disillusionment, or a shattered dream. When hurt comes, we have two choices. We can choose the mantra, “No one will ever hurt me again because I will never allow myself to be vulnerable enough to be hurt again.” We can choose to build a wall around our hearts and essentially choose to stop feeling anything at the risk of feeling sadness, discouragement, and brokenness. OR we can choose to work through and move past our hurt and seek a heart full of love, peace, and contentment. One makes Satan gloat in victory. One glorifies God.

Fortunately, we aren’t alone in trying to fix our hard hearts. In the book of Ezekiel, God promises to help us! He says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) Fight for a heart that glorifies God…choose to do the hard work!

To guard our hearts, we must choose to establish boundaries of what we allow our eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to process. An acronym I’ve learned is “GIGO.” This motto can go one of two ways…”garbage in, garbage out” OR “good things in, good things out.” What are we watching? Who are we choose to listen to? What are we reading? All of these have a profound impact on what we speak, how we act, and what we believe. I want to make a conscious effort for “GIGO” in my life to mean, “good things in, good things out.” Will you join me?

1. Did you see yourself in any of the things listed? I did! Look back at the list I created. Identify the area(s) you need to guard your heart against and take action to do so!

To guard your heart, you may need to…

-Take a media fast from TV, YouTube, or social media sites.

-Go through the difficult process of forgiving someone.

-Take captive every thought. “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

2. Listen to the song “Slow Fade.” We don’t just fall into sin. Our thoughts can lead us to sin.

3. Let’s do the work…whatever it takes to GUARD OUR HEARTS!

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce; and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up.” -1 Peter 5:8 (MSG)