More on Guarding Your Heart

The effort of guarding your heart is a conscience decision.  It is not natural, neither is it fun.  It's a mature thing to do in your Christian walk.  Consciously protecting your heart will effect every other area of your life.

Chapter 4 of Proverbs alone tells us about learning to control our body.

• Verse 24 warns us to guard our mouth and lips
• Verse 25 tells us to fix our eyes on what is in front of us (guarding our eyes)
• and Verses 26-27 warns us about guarding our feet and our paths
• But again, above all else we are to guard our hearts

Matthew 12:34 says, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."  In other words, what comes out of your mouth is a direct reflection of what is in your heart.  Therefore guarding your heart will help guard your mouth and lips.  This is why we are to guard our heart above everything else.  It is the root of everything that flows from us.


Verse 35 goes on to further explain, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."  Again, out of of heart everything else flows, our speech, our thoughts, and our actions.

In Matthew 15 Jesus explained that breaking a religious rule does not make us sinful, but the motives in our heart behind it does.  Verses 19-20 say, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.  These are what make a man 'unclean'..."


     This thought is reitterated in Mark chapter 7, which explains that what comes out of a man is what makes him "unclean," or sinful, not what goes into him.  Therefore meditating on lust and pornography isn't the sin, it is the motives of your heart behind that action that makes you unclean, and because your heart is warped when looking upon such things, your actions will therefore reflect that.  And so, these actions, attitudes, and behaviors are what "come out of a man" and so they "make him unclean." 

THE KISS: Designed for His Glory

OPINION PIECE:

Last year I took a class that was heavily drenched in feminism.  This class was blessing in that in motivated me to deeply dig into the scriptures and challenge the biblical views of gender roles.  I was nowhere near a feminist, but I did often question why women were only to be helpers and not leaders, and is it wrong for women to lead in career positions? These were just two of thousands of questions I studied and examined in the bible last year.

After studying the Word of God intensely, and praying for understanding about the gender roles, there is no doubt in my mind that God made men to lead and women to follow.  Men protect, women nurture.  Men want respect, women want love.  Men have a deep longing inside them for adventure and leadership, while women have the desire to be pursued and loved.

I would be more than happy to explain in full why I believe this and what God's word has to say about it, but right now I ask that you just take my word for it as I explain something else.  My professor last semester would deny every reason for men to lead and women to follow, she claimed that the way we do things is just learned social behavior, not nature.  HOWEVER, I would like to make just one of many points just for the sake of it.  

To say our gender roles are not of nature is wrong.  To say the stereotypes of men and women are not the will of God is untrue.  If it is learned behavior we would have to practice it right?  Well let me show you one major point I have noticed lately...The kiss. 

Okay, so don't think this is weird until you hear me out.  But think about every Hollywood movie you've ever seen that has that classic scene when the two main characters realize they DO love each other and they ARE in fact, deeply deeply in love (or so they say.)  Remember what happens?  They stand five inches from each other, lock their gaze into each other's eyes, and boldly exchange dramatic, sometimes cheesy, but always memorable dialogue...and then...THE KISS!

 He grabs her face with his hands, cupping her cheeks, and she throws her arms around his neck and then...she melts.  You know, "The melt."  The part when the woman finally becomes beautiful and vulnerable in the arms of a man.  All of her powerful, independent, and strong facade if laid down, and she becomes an icon of beauty because she is finally at peace with this man leading her.

On the other side, the man is bold, strong, and sturdy.  He does not whimper, step back, or melt--no he is there because he knows exactly what he wants and he is willing to fight for it--better yet, he is fighting for it, for her.  

Think back to your elementary days on the playground.  Most of us definitely remember playing princess, house, tea party, or anything amazing to young girls.  The guys played "wrestle?", football, ninjas, and who knows what else, but does anyone..anyone at all remember being taught how to melt?? 

This is purely and divinely one of the beauties God has created to remind us of his sovereign love and design.  He has absolutely everything  under control.  He knows that a man's finest moment is when he steps up to the plate and actively pursues the woman and children he loves.  He knows that a woman is most beautiful when she is completely at rest--not controlling or planning or analyzing anything.  He knows that she gets this way when a man steps up, and he knows that a man steps up when the woman invites him too.

He knows this because he designed us this way.  His plans are forever, faithful, and unchanging.  He intricately and perfectly designed every aspect of our lives to give him glory one way or another--even when we can't see it!  

Something as small as a dandelion, or as dramatic as a kiss, everything was made to give God glory.  Keep in mind, the reason everything doesn't always glorify Him is because sin entered the world and messed things up a bit.  But when relationships, gender roles, college plans, deaths, major changes, and whatever else happens, and your focus is God, and God alone--He will indeed be glorified as He intended to be.

Next time you see a beautiful Hollywood kiss, let it be a reminder to you that God has a plan and He will work it out.  No matter what you are going through, it will result in his glory in the end. :)

Romans 1:20

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Let God be God.  He's got this. ;)

Emotions and Dating

When it comes to dating, emotions are the biggest thing that cause conflict, drama, and pain. If we can learn to control our emotions instead of letting them control us, we will see victory in our relationships. Here is an easy acronym to remember about this.

Recognize your emotion

Express it to GOD

Evaluate your emotions in line with God's word

Decide to agree with God

When it comes to emotions and dating, you should lean back not forward. As girls we get overly involved and attached with a guy way to early. We have to learn to 1) let the guy lead in the depth of the relationship and 2) be fully functional and content being single.

Fantacizing about guys sets you up for heartache. Don't do it.

Pray for God to guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23

1 Corinthians 7:34-focus on what God wants for you

Galations 1:10-Examine yourself, are you trying to please men or God?

You always marry somebody you date.

So think about who you're dating!

A man will never meet all your needs. Only God can totally fulfill you.

Check out some Godly characteristics for men you should look for- 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Top 10 Things to Remember:

Top 10 Things to Remember:

“GIRL’S DON’T CHASE GUYS!

“Make your standards…
“AND DON’T SETTLE

Let God be in control! Let go.

“Let him lead.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

4 Types of Purity

EMOTIONAL purity! Don’t be so quick to give your heart away.

Mental purity-Movies, music, books,

Make a plan and put it to action!
“

Purity Table

Hey girls!

This is the purity table (literally haha) from part 1. This is the 4 types of purity that make up a balanced life. We have to practice all four and not just abstaining from sex!! More info about mental, spiritual, and emotional purity is in the part 1 post under "Know what God wants." If you have any questions let me know!