CHOOSE WHERE YOU DIRECT YOUR HEART

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart is a common phrase in many Christian circles. You’ve likely heard it used a few times and maybe even said it yourself. But do you know what guarding your heart means?

I suspect while most Christians likely have an idea of what it means to guard your heart, they don’t know exactly how to do it. What are the practicalities of “guarding your heart?” And how is this 2,000-year-old wisdom relevant to us in 2023? 

Our hearts are precious; they are the essence of who we are, the core of our being; they hold our thoughts, feelings, desires, and will. Hence why Solomon says “above all else.” It should be a top priority. We don’t guard worthless things. The iPhone is pretty expensive and has become a necessary communication tool. Because of those two things, we tend to take excellent care of it: we handle it carefully even though it has a screen cover and a protective case that can be dropped off the highest building in the world. We never put it in a shallow pocket, take it out, and leave it on the table for lunch. It is too valuable to lose. And while it is pretty cool technology, that’s all it is.  The heart is so much more important.  And we are in a daily battle to protect it. 

Scripture tells us to guard our heart because it is the source of our life. It is the essence of who you are. It is your authentic self—the core of your being. It is where all your dreams, desires, and passions live. It is that part of you that connects with God and other people. Out of the heart come all our motives, desires, and motivations. We are to barricade our heart against anything or anyone else that seeks to claim it because our heart belongs to God. Only God has the right to lead, guide, and instruct our hearts. That is why we must safeguard it. We must diligently and consciously protect it from invasions other than God.

The word “guard” is often a military term. It means to protect, maintain, take care of, and shield. The enemy is always at work trying to attack our hearts (Ephesians 6:10-12). They can do this in many ways and should never be underestimated. Though we have Christ’s victory, the enemy will always threaten our earthly lives. Remember, he comes only to steal, kill and destroy.  

As Christ followers, we must intentionally guard our hearts against anything contrary to scripture. Instead, we must focus on what enables us to be more like Jesus.

Guard your heart with prayer, solitude, fasting, scripture memorization, and learning to sharpen your ability to draw closer to God. These will help you guard your heart because you will spend your energy on Him. Remember, as your heart goes, so does your life.

Discussion Question:

  1. Why is it so important to guard your heart? Why is it important that we address any issues at the source rather than downstream?
  2. Read Matthew 22:37-38: What is the first and greatest commandment concerning the heart?
  3. Read Luke 21:34 and Deuteronomy 11:16: What are at least two dangers concerning our hearts?

 

CHOOSE TO PRAY DAILY

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” – 1 Timothy 2:1.

How important is prayer?  The Bible would seem to indicate that it is very important. Take the early church: Acts 2: 42 says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” And in Acts 4, when Peter and John were wrongfully arrested and then set free, the church prayed. “When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in themAfter this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness,”  (Acts 4: 24, 31)

Prayer can be viewed as a conversation, activity, ritual, or obligation. But prayer is simply talking to God: it is simply talking to God in order to grow in our relationship with Jesus and to grow in our love and loyalty to Him. If Jesus himself spent time in prayer when He was here on earth, how much more do we need to open our hearts to commune with the Lord?

What a gift that God wants to spend time with us and develop a personal relationship. How much more meaningful will our time in prayer be if we view that time as a privilege, instead of an obligation? We have to move beyond time spent out of duty-bound obligation and come to cherish and desire that time. Our prayers matter.

So when and how do we pray?  First, have a set time and place for where you will pray. This helps you to stay consistent and to create a habit of spending time with God and making space to grow in your relationship with Him. The reality is we make time for the things that are important in our lives. We should fight to make time for God on a daily basis.

We need to remember not only what God has done but who He is. God is a loving Father, who loves to see you grow and doesn’t expect you to be perfect on day one. He loves every time that you come to Him, He loves every moment that you sit and spend time with Him, so when you know that, it changes everything.

Prayer is not limited to a morning quiet time. Don’t underestimate the power of a 10-second prayer where you are just thanking Him and talking to Him throughout the day.

When we pray, God moves on our behalf. Prayer must be the foundation of everything we do if we desire to see God move. It needs to be ingrained in our daily lives, becoming our first response and not our last resort.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever needed to pray about something but just didn’t know how? How did you overcome this obstacle?   

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE TO ATTEND CHURCH?

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near..” – Hebrew2s 10:25.

Church attendance is necessary for your growth as a believer in Christ. Every Christian should gather together to hear the Scriptures and worship Jesus together with other believers weekly: “On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight” (see (Acts 20:7).  Acts 2:42 says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Romans 16:5 adds, “Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home….”

A popular Christian catchphrase today is, “You don’t go to church, you are the church.” While that sentiment is fundamentally true it should not pit “being the church” and “going to church” against each other. If we are truly “the Church,” then we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot “be” the church if we don’t “go” to church.

The “Church” is not a single, individual Christian just going about his or her Christian duties, and never gathering together to worship with other believers. The “Church” by its very nature means multiple believers. The first followers of Jesus would get together weekly to worship God together, and at times even daily. They would also share community together in each other’s homes.

Paul and the other Apostle’s letters were actually sent to these church communities that gathered in various cities to be read aloud together. Church means getting together with other believers to worship Jesus Christ, hear the Scriptures together, and encourage one another in the faith. Church is more than a podcast. It’s community. It’s worshiping with others, praying for others, hurting with others, serving others, and being involved in the lives of others.

If you attend church, you may hear something that will motivate and convict you to make changes in your life. Each service is tailored and designed to maximize your Sunday worship so that you can leave with the best possible spiritual experience. You can praise and worship God and you can learn things that you didn’t know before. You will be challenged and motivated. Church is where you will be inspired to go higher than you’ve gone and to sync your life up with Jesus and His purpose and plan for your life

So is church attendance still important? Nothing does more for your spiritual health than regularly being in church.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you really need to attend church? Why or why not?
  2. Do you believe being part of a church satisfies our need for belonging and acceptance?
  3. Does church give you the ability to minister to others? Is church one of the ways to exercise the ministry gift God has given you to be a blessing to someone else?

THAT ONE IMPORTANT THING

“The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”  – Psalm 27:4

If you could ask God what He desires most from you, what do you think He would say? Would it be for you to give more, serve more, or share your faith more? Would He ask that you become more involved in church activities, join a church family, or attend more regularly? Do you think, at the end of the day, that God wants you to do more for Him?

David asks one thing of the Lord in Psalm 27. He is crystal clear. David’s one thing is this: continual and unhurried abiding in God’s beautiful, wise, and holy presence. This is what he’s seeking. This is what he wants.

Is that what we want? Too often we see God as a means to an end by asking Him to provide us with this or that. The trouble with that thinking is that we should be looking to God, not as a means to an end, but God as the end. He’s the one we want. He’s the one we need. So like David, our prayer is to make God our heart’s solitary desire. To love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind and all our strength.

There are a few instances recorded in the Bible when Jesus told His followers what “one thing” He most desired. When the rich young ruler came to Jesus to inquire about eternal life, Jesus lovingly told him that he lacked one thing. “Go, sell everything you own and give it to the poor. Then, come follow Me,” Jesus told him. Was Jesus telling him to work for salvation? Of course not. He was, however, telling him to abandon everything for His sake. There could be nothing of more value in the young ruler’s life than Jesus. Scripture tells us that the man went away sad because he was wealthy. He was unwilling to give up all he had to follow Jesus.

And then there were the two sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to their home to dine, Martha was busy in the kitchen working to serve her Lord. She became frustrated with her sister, who was “just sitting” with Jesus, not doing any work. Martha asks Jesus to make Mary help her, and what does Jesus say, ”There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42).  How many of us are busy in the kitchen, yet missing the one thing that is needed?

Prayer often involves focusing on many things that have our attention or capture our interest. But at the center of it all, drawing all things together and making sense of it all, is just one thing. This is what we should ask about. This is what we should seek. This is who we should seek. What might happen in our life if, like David, we were to pray one thing—day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year? How might you change, even if only a little bit at a time?

What one thing are you seeking? If it’s not Jesus, you are missing out on the great purpose for which you have been created.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When you think about God, what feelings arise? Do you feel light, cared for, and safe? David does in Psalm 27. If you don’t feel these things, what do your feelings say about how you see God these days? Take a little time to think and pray about this.
  2. Take a moment to list the many things in your life that concern you, interest you, involve you, and keep you from being unhurried. Can you imagine these as countless spokes of a wheel around a singular hub? Why not pray David’s prayer in verse 4 word for word as a way of remembering that one thing to which God invites us.

JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE TRUTH

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

Many people believe in moral relativism – the idea that there’s no such thing as absolute truth. We live in a culture that tells you that truth is relative, or that each person can make up their own truth. Yet Jesus said in John 14 that He is the truth. In other words, Jesus is saying that truth is not found in knowledge, religion, or philosophy, but in Him.  Jesus says it’s absolutely clear. He is both the way to God, and He is the ultimate truth.

“What is truth? Pilate asked in John 18:38 after Jesus prompted him by saying “I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (Vs. 37)  Earlier, the disciples had asked Him to show them the way, Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  And John 8:31-32 adds: “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

Jesus meant that truth is not merely some abstract thing floating out in space that we have to mystically experience or something we have to force our will to follow, but it was a person, Himself. In Colossians 2 8-9 we read, “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” Paul was telling the Colossians not to be deceived by “fine-sounding” logical “arguments” but to find all truth in Christ.

Paul answers Pilate’s question by saying that every truthful thing in the universe is found in Christ. While many people claim to know the truth, only Jesus could honestly claim to be the truth.

Our faith is built on the truth that is absolute. This truth is not just based on faith but on reason and evidence that has stood the test of time. Here are some scriptures that speak to the strength of the foundation of our faith. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). “Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” (Isaiah 26:4).

We can be confident knowing our faith is based on eternal truth. When you are posed with the question of what is truth, know that Jesus is the truth. Beyond that, He is eternal, unchanging, and the rock on which our salvation stands. Since He will not change your confidence in Him as the truth need not be shaken.

Discussion Questions:

  1. It’s easy to get caught up in a sea of opinions and false truths about the Bible. What can you do to build up your confidence in the absolute truth of God’s word?
  2. How can you remain faithful in believing the truth, regardless of the dizzying opinions surrounding you every day?

NO ONE IS PERFECT

“Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.“ – James 3:2.

Olivia was a girl who struggled with perfectionism in every stage of life. When she was young, she strove to be a good, respectful child. As she grew older, she wanted strong, vibrant friendships. She wanted to have the best grades in high school and college and be a member of the best sorority. She wanted to be supermom; a right-on-schedule mom who only picked up her baby when it was time – time for a meal, time for a nap, or playtime. Her baby would sleep through the night at two weeks in her own really cool nursery that was the envy of all the moms in the neighborhood. She was an entrepreneur that started her own company that now employed 12 people. And to top it off she was the perfect socialite.

Olivia is fictitious because a real person would be confused, worn out, and frustrated because creating an image of perfection is a never-ending, exhausting activity.  If Olivia was a real person she would figure out that she is not perfect and allow God to make her the best version of herself.

As Christians, an impossible level of perfection that is unachievable should not be what we strive for. It can be easy to get caught up in all the little things and a desire to be perfect. However, that is not what is important. God knows we will sin. Rather what is important is our hearts and our desires to honor and love Christ.

The Bible makes it pretty clear that the only person who has ever lived a sinless life is Jesus Christ. 1 John says, “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him” (1 John 3:4-5).

We have all messed up and fallen short in our lives. However, that does not mean we are stuck in a never-ending cycle of sin and shame. Wherever you are right now with pressures in your life, God is whispering to us that we are released from the pressure to be perfect. You don’t have to “have it all together” and honestly, no one does anyway no matter how hard they work at it.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” This verse is telling us that God’s grace is sufficient for us. And not only that, Paul takes it a step further. God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. God’s power is unending and more than we can comprehend. God gives us strength in the midst of our chaos and weakness to overcome whatever life throws at us.

Our culture has its own ideas of what success and perfection look like. As a follower of Christ, success looks like one thing: obeying God and following His will for your life – nothing else.  It’s not about following rules or becoming our own idea of perfection.  It’s about loving God and loving others.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Where do you struggle most with perfectionism? What do you need to let go of so you can move forward?

STOP TRYING TO EARN GOD’S LOVE

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” – Ephesians 2:8-9.

Good works cannot save us, and not only that, they cannot earn us God’s love. God loves us not because of us but in spite of us. We were all lost and broken. We did what we thought was right. We were not paying attention to God, but fortunately, He was paying attention to us. We did not earn our salvation. God gave us the gift of salvation.

We are wrong when we acknowledge that salvation is a free gift on one hand but then think we need to work to sustain God’s love for us on the other. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, but ironically this is good news because none of us could meet God’s level of expectation to earn our salvation. Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Jesus is the only perfect person who has ever lived. The use of the word “boast” in Ephesians 2:8-9 is not accidental. The world teaches us we have to strive to earn things—love, money, friends, status—for our lives to be valuable. We like to take credit for good works. The bottom line is we are not saved by works, we are saved for works. Ephesians 4:1 tells us “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”

An expression you hear from believers is “I Found God” but God has been there all along. God relentlessly pursues our hearts before our first breath to our last. He chases us without tiring, trying to get us to accept the gift of salvation. He does not lose hope when we are self-centered, stubborn, or ornery. He rejoices in us and refines us when we faithfully serve Him. We are not worthy of such attention and affirmation from the Lord of Lords, but He gives it to us.

We don’t deserve the grace lavished upon us, and thankfully, that’s all by God’s design. God’s love is not up to you. Jesus loves you, period. No good deed is going to make Him love you more. No failure will make Him love you less.

When we feel like we’re not enough or like we have nothing good to offer to God, we can come to His presence and remind ourselves that He is our loving Father.  His love isn’t dependent on what we can bring to the table… or what we can draw at it.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you ever feel like you have to earn God’s love?
  2. Read Romans 6:23: How does viewing salvation as a gift change your perspective of God’s love for you? 

KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE

“Next is your question about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. On this question, everyone feels that only his answer is the right one! But although being a “know-it-all” makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1 (TLB).

A young boy walked down the beach with a t-shirt that said: “General Know It All.” Obviously, the parents were making a not-too-subtle statement that their son thinks he knows everything, We have all met people who have an opinion on everything and think their opinion is right.

Who doesn’t want to be knowledgeable about politics, sports, global events, human interest stories, social media, travel, history, and religion to name a few? We comment even though we only “know enough to be dangerous”.  1 Corinthians 8:1 (TLB) says, “although being a “know-it-all” makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love.”

Knowledge is needed, even necessary. There are very few people in the world who would not like to have more wisdom. Wisdom relates to using knowledge for sound intelligent and sturdy decision-making. Some people may want wisdom when it comes to their finances. Other people desire wisdom for their relationships. Still others may want wisdom when it comes to making future plans. As Christians, it is important we learn how to apply Godly wisdom to all areas of our lives.

Paul imagines a person who “…can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge….” (1 Corinthians 13:2) What a great help that would be for people puzzled by some parts of the Bible: those places where God has only given us a limited amount of information and left us with a certain degree of mystery. No question would be left unanswered. No mystery would go unexplained. Paul then talks about a faith that could move mountains. Such a person could start churches and missionary movements. They could birth soup kitchens and housing shelters. They could end racism in their city. They could make such a difference. Yet, Paul says, without love, their stunning gifts would amount to nothing.

What is Paul saying here? Even if we give generously all that we have (whether it is money, time, or our comfort), it is neither noble nor an act of worship if done without love. Is love the reason you spend time with your friends? Is love the reason you read your Bible and worship? Is love the reason you work? It all starts and ends with love for God and others.

Love is the one and only thing that shows we believe in Jesus. He says we will be known by our love. It’s what demonstrates that we have been changed and that we reflect His nature. Love is what God gives to us every moment. Love is what distinguishes us as His children. Not astonishing deeds, not vast knowledge, nor even the ability to reveal God’s word and message to others. But love. For all the other things we might accomplish, without love we are nothing.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is knowledge in your life? How can knowledge help or hinder your walk with God?
  2. How would you explain the difference between love that is from God and love that is based on human understanding?

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS BUT LOVE

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31.

There was a sign at a local business that said, “Keep Things Simple.” That sign is a reminder to all who see it to not make so complicated that you lose perspective. Jesus was all about making things simple.  He spelled it out for us when he responded to the religious scholar that tried to catch him in a trap.  Only two things are important in this life: Love God. Love others. That’s it.

Not how much my net worth is.  Not how much I give to charity.  Not how many friends I have. Not how popular I am.  Just to love God and love others. It may not be easy but it is uncomplicated. The greatest demonstration of the fact that we are Christians is that we love one another.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we have first a description of a man who does not possess love. The Apostle Paul says, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

In other words, suppose I could speak with the oratory of Martin Luther King Jr? Suppose I could sway a nation like Winston Churchill. Suppose I could speak with the conviction of Nelson Mandela, or speak the language of love like Mother Teresa. Suppose I could sing opera like Luciano Pavarotti or sing the national anthem like Whitney Houston.  Suppose I could speak 57 languages like  New Zealand journalist Harold Williams all at the same time. The Bible says all that is nothing unless I have this divine, supernatural love that God gives.

The apostle goes on to write, “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2). I could be a genius who solves math problems believed to be impossible to solve. I could process information faster than what is thought to be humanly possible.  I might know the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but if I had not loved, it would mean absolutely nothing in the sight of God.

I might be a man of great faith. The Bible says that is absolutely nothing unless my faith is tempered with love. I could be a man of great charity. The Bible says, “If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3)  God says it is nothing unless I am filled with the love of God.

Wow, the individual described in the last few paragraphs is truly extraordinary. This mythical person has it all, faith, eloquence, knowledge, power, charity, and commitment, but the Bible says they are absolutely nothing without love.

That shows you just how much stock God puts in love.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some truths we need to be reminded of in order to love others?
  2. What resources (money, gifting, time, etc.) are you using to love God and love others?
  3. How does loving God first change how you would love yourself? How does loving yourself change how you would love your neighbor? How can we help each other in this?

I CAN’T…BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN

Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” – Zechariah 4:6.

Everybody thinks their child is a natural athlete with natural ability. So with high expectations, you take your boy to the park and pitch him the ball as slowly as possible. The concept of natural ability disappears as he swings at pitch after pitch and never comes close to making contact with the ball. Nor can he throw the ball in the right direction when he is trying to throw the ball back to you. The dad is not discouraged. He stands behind his son, and wraps his arms around the boys to help him get a firm grip on the bat. With his assistance, they start hitting the ball together. And before long the boy has the idea and makes steady contact. Although our problems as adults are bigger than hitting a baseball, that first attempt at hitting a baseball is a teaching moment about the Holy Spirit.   

Look at Zechariah 4: Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah at the time, was tasked with leading the massive effort of rebuilding the temple. A few years into the project, progress had stalled. The Israelites had faced one trial after another. They were physically depleted and spiritually discouraged. Confronted with the overwhelming magnitude of the task, Zerrubabel had exhausted his leadership capabilities. He was thinking of giving up.

Zechariah enters the picture. He tries to encourage Zerubbabel by assuring him that the rebuilding would get done, but he was telling him how it was going to be possible. Not by human ingenuity, nor by sheer willpower, but by the Spirit of God. Just as a dad enables a child to hit a baseball, the Spirit was going to empower Zerrubabel to do something he could not do in his own strength.

A weary Zerubbabel was crying out, “I can’t!” But Zechariah reminded him, “But He can.” Perhaps you need that same reminder today.

For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we have His Spirit residing in us 24/7 (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Christian life is not meant to be one of self-reliance but of Spirit-reliance. We certainly possess skills, talents, intellect, resources, experience, etc. Yet, we are not meant to go it alone. We are to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives”(Galatians 5:25).  As we go about our daily lives, we must choose a perpetual posture of dependence on the Spirit of God.

Today, when you are faced with the limitations of your natural abilities, confess your need for His Spirit to do what you cannot.

Let Him swing the bat. He will enable you to do what you can’t do on your own.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When you think of the Holy Spirit, what comes to your mind? 
  2. What can the Holy Spirit help us do this week that we can’t do on our own?