Articles
Keep Your Heart
Keep Your Heart
How would you like to have control, command, or rule of your life? The word associated with these three terms is “Govern.” To be able to govern one’s life is highly prized. Another word closely related is “self-control.” Out of all of the conditions in life, self-control is the most difficult to accomplish, but when accomplished, there is great reward because there is a transformation of life. The apostle Paul put it this way: “And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Transformation comes “by the renewing of your mind.” In order to do so, we must exercise vigilance in life. With these thoughts in mind, I’d like for you to consider some areas of life that will help you accomplish what we most cherish, i.e., the ability to have control, command and rule of your own life. What can we do?
Keep your Heart: Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.” In reference to this passage, John Gill said to keep “the mind from vanity, the understanding from error, the will from perverseness, the conscience clear of guilt, the affections from being inordinate and set on evil objects, the thoughts from being employed on bad subjects; and the whole from falling into the hands of the enemy, or being the possession of Satan: great diligence had need be used in keeping it, since it is naturally so deceitful and treacherous.” The heart must be kept, above all, because, “out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus put it this way, “But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: these are the things which defile the man” (Matthew
Exercise self-control: The apostle John said, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). Such being the case it is imperative that we, as did the apostle Paul, “so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).
Remember the words of the apostle Paul, saying, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it. Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians
- Keep_Your_Heart.pdf (53.59 kB)
