Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Proverbs 4:23-26 (NLT)
We are encouraged to guard our hearts (or guard our thinking) in the verse above. This is a two-part process. First, we must guard (or monitor) what we are thinking about on a daily basis because our thoughts will influence our actions. We must continually consume God’s Word (the Bible) to help us form the correct thoughts each day. The correct thoughts will help you make the correct decisions in your life. Second, we must guard against other people making unhealthy deposits into our hearts. We allow others to make unhealthy deposits when we listen to corrupt speech (immoral, unethical, dishonest, etc.) or we engage in conversations that are not beneficial to us. Don’t allow others to make unhealthy deposits in your heart (by listening to them or engaging in conversations) that will negatively influence your actions.
Tip: Are you reading the Bible daily? Click here for a simple Bible reading plan to get you started.