GUARD YOUR HEART

Protect yourself from the negative news in the world.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life". (Proverbs 4:23) - NLT.

If we consider what's happening in the world, one would wonder how easy it is to keep a healthy balance between our spiritual life and secular life and how to uphold our Christian values against the influences of the world system? The Scripture tells us that we live in the world, but we are not of this world. (John 17: 14-19) Primarily, our citizenship is from Heaven. Hence, we must guard our hearts against the influence of the perverted systems of the world.

ENDLESS COMMERCIALS OF NEGATIVITY

Everywhere we turn today, we are confronted with endless commercials for negativity, perverseness, and lewdness. Also, the media is filled with pharmaceuticals for every sickness and disease imaginable, yet they tell us that "these sicknesses are incurable, you have to live with them for the rest of your life". They do so much to force this negativity on us as if there's no more balm in Gilead and there's no Great Physician (God), Who can heal us from our sicknesses and deliver us from oppression.

Moreover, there is the news of war, pestilence, tragedy, brutality, and violence in our cities, towns, and countries, which incite fear and trepidation in the minds of people. Everywhere, there's bad news and more bad news.

HAVE YOUR MIND STAY ON GOD AND TRUST HIS WORD

As believers in CHRIST, we are not immune to the negativities around the world, particularly if we don't guard our hearts against them and renew our minds in the WORD of God. They will affect our hearts through doubt, fear, and unbelief, and have a negative impact on our spiritual state. Rather than walk in faith, we would live in fear like the rest of the world. Instead of having peace because our mind stays on God, we would be stressed, confused, and all worked up because of the news we hear daily.

The Scripture tells us in Isaiah 26:3, "For God will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him because he trusts in Him." It means we can enjoy peace, calmness, and rest, despite the storms around us. We can actually go to sleep and find rest within us, even though the storms in the world and around us are rising.

Indeed, we know that our Redeemer lives and He will stand for us and with us at the end. Like Paul the apostle, we declare boldly, "none of these things moved us..." because He Who lives in us is greater than the one who is troubling the world.

PUT UP YOUR GAME AGAINST THE WORLD'S SYSTEM

The Scripture commands us to up our game against the system of the world in righteousness. Psalm 101:3 admonishes that we should refuse to look at or consider anything vile and vulgar. We should distance ourselves from all who deal crookedly and have nothing to do with them. We should be careful of what and who we listen to and observe with our eyes. Because the eyes are the windows to our soul - mind, will, and emotion. By doing these, we would guard our hearts against the evil in the world.

Finally, we must be protective of the things we say with our mouths because the power of death and life lies in our tongues. What we say and the company we keep can make or mar us over time. The more we hear and say negative things, the more negative thoughts and ideas get down in our spirit, come out of our mouths, and become part of our lives. Hence, we should make no room for negativity in our lives.

Let's Pray:

Heavenly FATHER, I thank You for your WORD. Today, I ask You for the grace to live in the world and not be influenced by its system. Even though I am surrounded by many things and situations that contradict my faith in You, help me to stand strong for Your truth, wisdom, righteousness, and for the cause of Your Kingdom on earth in JESUS' name. Amen.

JESUS REIGNS!

RAJI KEMI-RICH