My Daddy's a King

Interesting thoughts....jumbled a bit though

This was posted on a message board I belong to:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. NKJ What does this passage mean to you all, especially in terms of relationships, and especially relationships with the opposite sex? This is a good thing. To me it means we need to watch to protect our heart from fears, jealousy, and other weaknesses. We need to keep our hearts strong. We need to protect our ability to reach out to others in love. I don't, however, think it means we should protect ourselves from the pain that inevitably comes from being in relationships with people. But we should also protect our strength and love and not be a doormat. I'm not saying people should tolerate abuse when it is not promoting love either. Although standing strong for God and love may involve suffering. Do you think this scripture provides a valid and godly principal for avoiding painful relationships? Do you think sometimes Christians use this as a cop out? When people get hurt by thers it's natural to put up defenses and take time out to heal. I think this good and valid. But I'm not sure that's what this scripture means. What do you all think?

First of all, my frustration is that these types of Scriptures get turned around to relationships all the time. There is a world out there starved for love and affection and trying to figure out if its ok to desire those relationships, etc. But why does it automatically get translated / applied to relationships with the opposite sex?

Here was my response, and though it seems jumbled, I've been seeing connections with Scriptures more lately.

Let's take a closer look at the Scripture:
This is the NAS with Strongs:
Proverbs 4:23 Watch (1) over your heart with all diligence(2), For from it flow the springs of life.

to guard, watch, watch over, keep

(Qal) to watch, guard, keep

to preserve, guard from dangers

to keep, observe, guard with fidelity

to guard, keep secret

to be kept close, be blockaded

watchman (participle)

place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance

jail, prison, guard-house

guard, guard post, act of guarding

observances

Wow, that's pretty descriptive, isn't it! That is what we're supposed to do ... guard, post, keep it secret, be a watchman for it....I don't think this pertains only to relationships though it can definately speak to that.

A couple more Scriptures come to mind. The first is related to
relationships:

Corinthians 7:32-36 (New International Version) I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

I believe in courtship (a stricter form; if you want more info, PM me) but this verse speaks of devotion and who is our center. Is it us, another person/relationship, or Christ? We should guard our hearts because out of it, Proverbs says, is the wellspring of life, but Christ also addresses the heart this way:
Matthew 6:20-23 (New International Version) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

I believe that we are to guard our heart as our treasure... a slight twist on Matthew's quote but the reality is it runs both ways. We treasure things in our heart (Mary, the mother of Jesus did...see Luke 2) but what we treasure determines where our heart is! Not only that, but when we have a hold of something, are we slack with it? Flaunt it? Would you leave a diamond ring out on a table somewhere? I doubt it. You'd hold it close, keep your eye on it, etc. But notice that the continuation speaks of our eyes and our bodies being full of darkness or light. ... well what does THAT have to do with it?

Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We are to fill our phsyical and spiritual selves with things that are right, pure, lovely, etc. How do you keep ahold of those things? To guard and treasure them. Am I making sense? Something else... my friend M and I talk often how getting close to anyone (same or opposite sex) does open you up for hurt. That's a part of being in convenant and being in relationships but also part of the community. If it wasn't so, there wouldn't have been judges set up to handle disputes. Guarding your heart doesn't mean not letting anyone in but it may change in how you deal with the situation. The real question is who has your heart? My heart is given over to God so even though I may get hurt, etc. the reality is that if my heart is HIS, then I'm guarding that.... to keep my right perspective when things come up, to keep my devotion to Him alone, to keep LIFE and LIGHT in my heart, instead of darkness, hate, deceit and sin. Guarding is not to keep good things out, but to keep them in -- but also to keep the bad out. I hope that makes sense.... random thoughts :)

Anyway, I just thought that was interesting.

posted by imallforgod @ 2:38 PM