Guarding Our Hearts

​​First let me share why "guarding your heart" is important. It makes a safe place for you AND for those around you! By knowing who YOU are, what YOU need and knowing who others are and their needs, creates a safe place. 

Guarding your heart seems a mystery. Many have different perceptions on this. Some negative and some positive. Lets look at each of them. 

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The unhealthy (negative) way of guarding your heart usually starts off with one of these statements: "I am never trusting them again", "they won't ever hurt me!", "I am never giving my heart again", "they hurt me", "they are such liars, I can't trust them". If you start to guard your heart with either of these words, it is out of pain, fear or unforgiveness. It is for self protection and removes the trust in God.

Guarding your heart healthily (positive) is courageous and It's saying YES to you before anyone else. Yes to you, so you can say yes to others. It's a courageous act out of a desire for unity, wholeness and the fullness of what God has for you and for what God has for those around you!


Are WE guarding our hearts or something else? "Don't let anyone near your heart", "my heart is yours and no one elses", "my kid has all my heart", "my husband is everything to me", "I am in covenant with...", "I couldn't live without _____", and on and on. I believe these are some statements that reveal who or what is guarding our hearts. It reveals what or who we have allowed to have access to our hearts. We have let down our guards. Is this bad? I do not think it is always, BUT I do believe God needs to be a partner with you to decide who has access to your heart. I do feel it may be a lot fewer people than we think.... or what I have thought. ;) 

So what does it actually mean? Guarding your heart. I will list three things here: 1. being AWARE of what's actually in your heart, 2. having the tools to MANAGE what's in your heart, 3. know WHO is allowed into your heart. I may have some different perspectives than you have heard, so share any insight in the comments!


1. AWARENESS
     Knowing what is in your heart is a full time job. It's staying AWARE of your emotions and feelings and digging in on what created them (some may call this the root). For an example, I realize I have been frustrated. I say to myself, "seriously, would this stupid peanut butter jar be aggravating me this much to get open?!?!". Of course not. There is something deeper. I think at times it may really be my house being a mess and I had no time to clean, a disagreement with my husband that isn't settled yet, or maybe a bad choice of food, etc. 

2. MANAGE
     So what do we do? Our biggest tools are Jesus' blood that took back all power and dominion. It states in Revelation by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony they overcame! Revelation 12:11. So let us FORGIVE ourselves or others, INVITE wisdom, knowledge and understanding to apply in your circumstance, and declare our TESTIMONY! Using my example in #1, I forgive myself or the expectation I set and didn't meet, for any perfectionism in my heart or whatever lie I may believe. I receive the forgiveness provided by the blood of Jesus and declare the truth. I do at times need to battle thoughts that may come back with truth. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Manage your heart by managing your emotions & thoughts.

3. ACCESS
      Who and what has access to your heart? Who. Your parents, spouse, kids, co-workers, yourself, etc. Our heart has only so much space, "energy", to pass around. We need to know who has access. Sometimes we give this access without knowing, sometimes it's a given and sometimes you intentionally give it. 1. The times that it is without knowing. You may have started watching this amazing show and it's grabbed your heart. You know how your heart being tugged on daily by the show. You can't wait to see it. Of course you didn't say, "I am going to give my heart to this show" but you end up doing it as your heart opens up to those in the show, even from afar and with non realistic characters. 2. Sometimes it's a given. Like our child we just received from heaven. This is a healthy God ordained connection but some of us may turn it into an idol. "I can't live without my kid" "they are everything to me", etc. Again invite God to help you manage this. 3. We give it. We intentionally have prayed and invited God to guide us on how we give out the access to our hearts. For Him to show who should have our heart, for how long, in what season and to what level.

Have courage and stand strong! Know and manage yourself so that you can be a blessing to others and be a safe place for them! 

I pray you received what was helpful, spit our what wasn't and continue or start your journey for a healthy guarded heart!​

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