Tainted Gifts

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  – Proverbs 4:23

Guarding the heart takes place on two fronts: offense and defense.

On the side of offense, we take measures to proactively fortify, protect, and set up safeguards for our heart. We do this by following God’s words of wisdom, through prayer, through self-discipline, in loving and accountable relationships, and other actions to protect our hearts. In doing so, we attack the enemy of our soul – the enemy who strategizes for our destruction.

On the side of defense, we must respond to the ploys of the enemy. As with our offense, our first line of defense is God’s word. We see that even Jesus, when the enemy came to Him after His time of fasting, responded with the Word. Matthew 3:4-11 says “The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down…” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

The enemy knows how to appeal to our sensitive spots. Jesus had just been on a 40-day fast and so the enemy approached Him with a “solution” to meet His hunger. Jesus didn’t fall for it. He then appealed to Jesus’ pride, suggesting that He might like to perform a miracle and prove who He was. Jesus didn’t fall for that either. Finally, the enemy tried to attack Jesus’ very relationship with His Father! Strike three for the enemy! And at that point, Jesus ordered him to be gone.

Our first line of defense is the Word of God but we must also fortify ourselves through our offensive actions in order to have the strength to fight the enemy.

When we do not guard our heart, we can allow all manner of destructive forces in that will not only hurt us but will taint what we give to others – and possibly hurt them as well. This means that if we let in things like pornography (disrespect, objectification, lovelessness), bitterness, hate, loose morals, gossip, the love of money, evil ambitions, etc., that everything we do in life will be “seasoned” with those things! So even our best efforts are tainted (at least) and destructive (in their fullness).

Moses’ words to the children of Israel, regarding the commands of God: Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Hold the commands of God in your heart. Do not let them fade. Guard your precious heart.