Our hearts are the center of our emotions, desires, and decisions. The Bible tells us that God is deeply concerned with the state of our hearts because it influences everything we do. In Proverbs 4:23, we are reminded: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
On our farm we have an electric fence to keep the cattle inside our boundaries, but maybe more important, it keeps the cows from getting on the road and damaging someone’s property. God is reminding us to check our hearts before we allow our emotions and affections to shape our actions and relationships. Allowing our hearts to be guided by worldly desires, or unchecked emotions, we risk drifting away from God’s plan. However, when we surrender our hearts to Christ, we experience true peace and fulfillment.
So, what kind of heart does God want? In Acts 13:22 we read, “But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.”
Despite his failures, David constantly sought the Lord, repenting when he fell short. His prayers in Psalms reflect a deep and desperate longing for God:
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Psalm 42:11 is my go-to verse when feeling sorry for myself or contemplating throwing a “poor, poor, pitiful me” pity-party. “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my savior and my God!”
It reminds me to shift the focus from my feelings to my faith!
David’s example emphasizes God’s desire for sincerity rather than perfection. When we find ourselves struggling with matters of the heart, whether love, forgiveness, or purpose, we should bring those concerns to God in prayer.
Lord, I surrender my heart to You. Align my desires with Your will, heal my brokenness, and help me love others as You love me. Amen.
A sincere, simple prayer can make all the difference in matters of the heart, bringing clarity, peace, deliverance, and guidance.
How do we guard our hearts in relationships? In romantic relationships, friendships, and most especially family dynamics, our hearts are vulnerable. The Bible cautions against being unequally yoked with unbelievers and 2 Corinthians 6:14 reminds us to seek relationships that draw us closer to God. “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?”
In the would have, should have, could have world, I would have aligned myself with this verse. It would have spared me from many hurtful, painful relationships!
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.”
When making those really important decisions about love and companionship, we should ask these questions:
Does this relationship honor God?
Does it encourage my spiritual growth?
Am I loving as Christ loves?
These are only a few of the questions you should be asking. The Apostle Paul reminds us about other important characteristics of love and relationships in 1 Corinthians 13:4: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
A heart that follows Christ seeks to love selflessly, just as He loves us.
Sometimes relationships can derail, and we are left with a broken heart. How can we be healed? Heartbreak, disappointment, and grief are a part of life, but God promises healing. In Psalm 34:18 we learn, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
When we are wounded, God invites us to find comfort and peace in His presence. Instead of allowing bitterness to take root, immediately surrender your pain to Him, and begin trusting in His perfect plan.
It is important to align our desires with God’s Will. Sometimes, our hearts desire things that may not line up with God’s best for us. Proverbs 3:5-6 emphasizes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Step one is to give Him all your heart, and step two, give Him all your desires.
I prayed for my husband for nearly five years. I trusted God’s plan for my life to include a God-honoring marriage! If you have been waiting, don’t lose hope, keep praying and trusting His perfect timing!
Submitting to God requires handing your dreams over to His perfect timing. Whether it is waiting for love, healing, or direction, He is faithful to lead us.
Whether your heart is beat up and broken, jacked up and joyous, or disappointed and depressed, God cares, and He wants to shape and mold it to reflect His love. Stay close to Him, fill your mind with His Word, and set your heart in rhythm with His.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:8