Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
– Proverbs 4:23
The first thing we should understand about this verse is that it was actually written by a father to his sons. It’s a dad telling his sons, “Desire wisdom. Embrace wisdom. Guard it."
To guard something means to watch over something to protect it. In order to guard anything, we first have to understand what that “something” we’re guarding is. If we keep guarding an empty heart then let’s not wonder why we’re empty. We guarded that. If we keep guarding an insecure heart, we’ll have insecurity. If we keep guarding a proud heart, we’ll have that too. Same with fear or foolishness or whatever else. It’s not enough to just “guard your heart”.
The verse actually tells us what to guard. In Proverbs 4, guarding your heart isn’t about guarding your emotions or feelings as many people understand the verse to mean. The verse is actually self-explanatory a few verses before verse 23:
v.20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
v. 21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
The author, probably Solomon, was saying, “Put these wise sayings in your heart.” then goes on, in verse 23, to tell them to “guard it”. More than emotions and feelings, he was teaching his sons to have a wise heart and to make sure their heart remained wise.
To have a wise heart means to have good judgment.
– Proverbs 4:23
The first thing we should understand about this verse is that it was actually written by a father to his sons. It’s a dad telling his sons, “Desire wisdom. Embrace wisdom. Guard it."
To guard something means to watch over something to protect it. In order to guard anything, we first have to understand what that “something” we’re guarding is. If we keep guarding an empty heart then let’s not wonder why we’re empty. We guarded that. If we keep guarding an insecure heart, we’ll have insecurity. If we keep guarding a proud heart, we’ll have that too. Same with fear or foolishness or whatever else. It’s not enough to just “guard your heart”.
The verse actually tells us what to guard. In Proverbs 4, guarding your heart isn’t about guarding your emotions or feelings as many people understand the verse to mean. The verse is actually self-explanatory a few verses before verse 23:
v.20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
v. 21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
The author, probably Solomon, was saying, “Put these wise sayings in your heart.” then goes on, in verse 23, to tell them to “guard it”. More than emotions and feelings, he was teaching his sons to have a wise heart and to make sure their heart remained wise.
To have a wise heart means to have good judgment.