PROVERBS 4:23
Proverbs 4:23. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” NLT translation says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Why is it important to guard your heart? Because it ultimately determines the course of your life. The course of your life is determined by the course of your day, the course of your day is determined by the course of each moment, the direction of each moment is determined by the seconds of your day.
Proverbs 4:23. “Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.” NLT translation says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Click To TweetMy Little secret
I was experiencing some exciting time in my life; I was on a high and bursting with excitement. It was my little secret for a while; it was my little secret and my heart’s joy. The joy was evident in everything. My work was joyful, and I was more patient with my family; I was more patient with my staff. In addition to all of that, I could hear God clearly. I could literally feel the Holy Spirit penetrating all over me as I listened to worship music.
What Determines The Course of Your Day
One day, against my better judgment, I shared my excitement with someone, and they were very discouraging, virtually made my exciting news seem like the most insignificant idea. The conversation was emotionally and mentally crushing. It affected my night, which affected my ability to get a good night’s rest. I was then unable to wake up at my usual time, which affected my ability to fully complete my typical morning workout, which affected my mood, which affected my patience as I drove to work, which affected my reaction to the staff at work, which affected my ability to control my attitude towards others. This one conversation completely changed every second of a 24-hour span of time.
Prioritize Guarding Your Heart
How to Guard your heart.1. Protect your heart from external influences2. Study the people in your network3. Limit your interaction with those you know will steal your joy4. Maintain strong relationships with people that truly have your… Click To TweetEverything we do flows from our heart; the need to guard our hearts should be a priority for us every day. Establish daily boundaries to limit the effect of others on our day.
- Protect your heart from external influences.
2. Study the people in your network and limit your interaction with those you know will steal your joy.
3. Maintain strong relationships. Know who to go to when you need encouragement. You know who to go to when you need advice. Who you go to when you need a hug.
Thanks for exploring this topic with me.
Idara Joy
7 Comments
Pam
Love this idea as it’s so important. Guard yourself with people who lift you and your spirits and nourish your soul. That is so so important. Thank you so much for the read 🙂 !
Maria Black
Hi Idara!
I’m so sorry that person stole your joy, people just don’t know how much they impact others by being negative when someone is clearly excited.
It is a very good thing to protect your heart and set boundaries with people who are emotionally toxic. Great advice!
Bennett Flaherty
This post resonates so deeply, as I was just having this conversation with my husband. I feel like so many of the relationships I have with “friends” are at a superficial level, and they don’t have genuine joy when I have success…One of my favorite pieces of advice is that there is “room for everyone at the table.” People can still accomplish things without dimming others’ spirit.
Nikki
Absolutely. There is room at the table for everyone, if we could all learn how to support each other. Thanks for reading.
Tana
I loved this so much! I recently had a similar experience with joy stealing- These tips will help in the future!
kristen
I love the message in this, thanks for sharing!
Nikki
Thanks for reading.