The Heart Of Marriage

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” – Proverbs 4:23. 

Have you ever said something and wondered where that comment came from? Or maybe it was an idea that came out of nowhere. Or maybe you did something completely out of character and ask yourself, what was I thinking? We read in Proverbs that everything — our words, our thoughts, our choices, our decisions, our priorities — comes from our hearts. And that is true of our relationships as well. When we don’t guard our heart, the things that can harm our walk with God and our spouse find an entrance. As your heart goes, so goes your life.

King Solomon possessed the wisdom to govern all Israel. But King Solomon lacked the will to govern his own heart. It makes you wonder how one of the smartest people in history could manage to be foolish in some areas of his life. Like so many in the Bible and throughout history,  he paid the price for his obsessions and an unguarded heart.

A practical way to guard your heart in your relationship is to stay alert. The Psalmist tells us to keep vigilant, specially in those times when there is turmoil in our relationships: “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! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you“ (Psalm 42:5-6)  Our heart belongs to God. Only God can have the permission to lead, guide and instruct our heart. That is why we must safeguard it.  

 When you guard your heart in daily life, you choose not to listen to conversations that are critical or wrong. You avoid sinking into bouts of complaining or criticizing, and you don’t allow depression, anger, bitterness, self-pity, or self-hatred to overwhelm you.

It’s one of the most disappointing, heartbreaking, and shocking things to believe that you will be with someone you love forever…only to experience some bumps in the road. But if we want to stay in love, if we want to make love a verb, we must learn how to guard our hearts so we make healthy, wise decisions in our relationships.

Discussion Question:

1. Why is it so important to guard your heart? 
2. According to Luke 6:45, how does our heart affect our actions?