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A healthy heart and a healthy life are why God is also called 'the good doctor.'
By Aria Gmitter — Written on Nov 22, 2019
Here is your daily Bible verse for today, Friday, November 22nd, 2019 for your quiet time with God or journaling in prayer.
Bible Verse of the Day:
"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life." — Proverbs 4:23, (World English Bible)
If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you know how difficult it is to keep your heart from being hurt by others.
There have been many times when I've had my heartbroken. Loving the wrong person has been the primary source of my personal heart wounds.
But there are other forms of heartbreak. Not getting a job that you wanted. The house you thought you'd buy not coming through. The loss of a pet. The loss of a parent.
There are lots of ways where our minds think something is certain or going to last forever. Then, life takes a turn in a different direction. Suddenly, the pangs of heartbreak hit. A part of you dies inside, even if you sensed the end was near.
When the Bible asks you to protect and to guard your heart with diligence that doesn't mean shutting yourself off to love.
Guarding your heart means that your emotions need to be healthy so that you can love... and love well... for your entire life.
Learning how to protect your heart is no small feat. The heart loves big and wide. It wants to be free and to take risks that the mind can't comprehend.
In fact, the word 'diligence' means "careful or persistent work of effort", according to the Oxford Dictionary online.
Why does the Bible focus on the heart and not the brain?
The heart is mentioned 826 times in the Bible, and according to Strong's Concordance, the mind is never talked about.
In a world where critical thinking skills are taught in schools and where we are asked to use our brains for work, why would scripture not mention how to take care of our brains?
According to science, the brain controls the heart but every part of the body, including the brain, is controlled by the heart. The heart signals to the entire being of a person what you know on a subconscious level, but aren't fully aware of yet.
Really, when you say guard your heart in the Bible we are actually talking about defending your life.
Everything in our lives affects the condition of our hearts and how it responds to the world around you. If you've ever heard the saying, 'stress kills,' yes it affects the brain, but the effect on the heart is worse.
When the Bible says to put walls up around your heart with diligence, there are 5 reasons why.
1. Your heart absorbs the feelings you have in life.
If something is shocking, the heart stops. When something is going well, your heart races.
In fact, the heart actually can ache for love and be the literal cause of death when a person is heartbroken.
2. Your heart lets you know when something is on or off.
When you love someone, you can feel it in your heart.
When you're falling in love and don't realize it, your heart tells you by the way it skips a beat.
Your heart sinks when you hear that your feelings aren't reciprocated.
3. The heart is the epicenter of the soul.
It's the point where you know something is going on inside of you, and maybe you can't put it into words.
4. You can't live without a beating heart.
In fact, if you were to get into an accident and be proclaimed brain dead, you can still be kept alive if your heart works. But if your heart stopped beating, your entire body would shut down with the brain going first.
We may not always be consciously aware of our thoughts, and even though the mind can be reprogrammed or trained, how the body's response takes a much longer time. In fact, ask anyone who has ever suffered from panic attacks, anxiety or depression, they have tried to control the way their body feels, unsuccessfully.
Their mind knows that their life is okay, but their heart reacts due to past trauma. The burden of the past is buried in the brain but carried in the heart.
5. You can protect your heart though from the actions that you take.
For example, if you knew you had a strong heart-hurting reaction when around someone, you don't have to accept it. This Bible verse supports letting that situation go and leaving it up to God.
Your heart signals the body when it has had enough and it's time to leave a situation. In other words, not only are you to guard your heart diligently, but this also means it's important to listen to your heart.
God speaks to the heart. He uses the heart as a means to capture your love, your attention, and also to let you know when you need to flee a situation or ask for his protection.
How to protect your heart, according to the Bible:
1. Don't put your faith in things.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." — Matthew 6:21
2. Aim for peace.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:7
3. Spend quiet time with God.
"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." — Psalms 37:4
Prayer for today:
"God, help me to keep my heart free from stress and anxiety by avoiding situations, people, places and things that make my heart respond in a way that is unhealthy. Help guide my footsteps so that I walk towards the things that bring me joy so that it is wide open to receive your blessings and hear a good word from you."
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Senior Editor, Aria Gmitter, M.S, M.F.A. is a writer who covers love and relationship topics involving spirituality, astrology, and celestial events. Follow her on Facebook.