Christian heart management
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
There is still an unforgettable event. A mother, whom I know, was shot to death when she ran out of her store in following a robber who came into her store and stole her money. The money the robber stole from the store was $100. It was an absurd event. Of course, I don't think she went after the robber to keep $100 because it could be a momentary reaction. However, one precious life died for just $100.
Too many people seem to give their whole strength, heart, and sincerity to keep money. I think we are doing whatever we can to protect money in this materialistic world. What's even more frightening is the fact that we are throwing away our hearts to protect our money. I am thinking about what we Christians are doing in this world where people try to protect money even while throwing away their conscience. Are we different from them? Aren’t we trying to control the Lord's church with money by strengthening our neck in the church with money, boasting in front of the church members? Why are we throwing our hearts? Why aren’t we any no longer committed ourselves to protect our hearts? Our hearts are getting dirty. What is even more frightening is that even the faith to rely on the blood of Jesus' cross is fading in our dirty hearts. It seems that we are living by showing people our form of godliness in our proud instinct to save our hearts that are being polluted by law. Our hearts are full of doubts, not faith. And such hearts test God (Acts 15:10). It is our hearts that doubt about the salvation plan of grace that God has established (Park). In short, our hearts don’t know "the grace of the Lord Jesus" (v. 11).
God is giving us the word of life today. Above all else, we must guard our hearts because “it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23). We should not take this fundamental lesson lightly. We should not waste time focusing on other things while ignoring the wellspring of life. Specifically, how should we proceed to guard our hearts? We must keep it by faith. We must cleanse our hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). We must do our best to cleanse and prioritize guarding our hearts amidst Satan's devilish schemes and many temptations. Although it may be difficult, painful, lonely, and exhausted, we must guard our hearts with all our lives. In order to do that, we must claim only Christ's righteousness by faith. We must consider our righteousness rubbish. We can boast only our sins and our weakness. We must hold onto the truth, saved only through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, with all our heart, mind, and soul. In addition, since we are sanctified through the work of the truth of the Holy Spirit in our life of faith, we must live a sanctified life. “Create in me a clean heart, O God …” (Ps. 51:10).