Heart Guard

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart as it effects everything you do.”  (NLT)

When I read the Proverb above, I reflected back to a pivotal point in the history of our pharmacy business.  That was when a team of us sat down and defined our vision (what we wanted to become) and mission (how we were going to get there).  But even more importantly we developed a couple of core values that guided us upon the mission:  “to treat others better than we expected to be treated” and “to exhibit honesty in all that we do.”  These values served as a great filter and guide for the actions we exhibited towards those we served and interacted with.

Whether in business or in life our values are at the “heart” of everything we do and ultimately serve as our filter and guide in creating a response to the things going on around us.  Thus, the reason God tells us through Solomon in the Proverb above, to “guard our hearts.”

Although our brain produces thoughts and mental images related to what we should do when faced with certain situations; these thoughts and actions are first filtered by our values.

I believe we are all born with the same values at birth because we all have the same heavenly Father.

The test for our original God-given values takes place as we create personal beliefs that determine our values while progressing from our formative stages of life all the way into adulthood.   Our beliefs often take on the personality of the environment we live in as well as the people we choose to follow and “believe” and that isn’t always a positive thing.

The Action Process:        Beliefs & Values guide our Thoughts & Actions

In spite of how bad our beliefs and values may become, God’s awesomeness is revealed in a huge way as He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit (God living in us), when we accept Jesus, which gives us the ability to replace incorrect values, developed out of incorrect beliefs; with God’s values. 

SAY WHAT????

I am living proof of this as my beliefs, values and actions got me a free ticket to a chemical dependency center as well as a visit from a Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent and likely jail time as well as many other negative consequences at the ripe old age of 28. 

When people ask me how I did it (stayed sober since 1987 and turned my life around), I tell them the only change I made was in making a decision to ardently desire to know  and draw closer to God  the best I possibly could, one day at a time.  What I didn’t know then was I was beginning to take my “Heart Guard” medicine as I drew closer and closer to God. 

Did my values and actions change overnight?  Absolutely not!  Getting my values to align with God’s has been a challenging, difficult, never ending, dynamic and evolving process where I have learned that the more effort I put forth in pursuing alignment, the better aligned I become.

When our values align with God’s values our heart is at peace no matter what the circumstance and more times than not, our thoughts as well as our actions are representative of the way God wants us to act regardless of how crazy our life may be.  (Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body.”) Working to align our values with God’s by drawing closer to Jesus creates a healthier mental and physical “being.” 

When our values run counter to God’s values a conflict exists within ourselves and consequently our thoughts and actions represent a heart that is not at peace and in turn runs counter to the way God desires us to live.  This state of “being” not only results in inappropriate action but leads to chaos and turmoil.  When all of this is combined with the resultant guilt and shame of living counter to God’s values, it takes a toll on the body from a spiritual, mental and physical standpoint…been there done that.

So how do we guard our heart and live our lives guided by the values God instills in us?

1. Daily-Die to self and turn to God thru the power of the Holy Spirit and seek to fill your heart with His perfect values through prayer, meditation and scripture reading.
2. Daily-Draw closer to things that will nourish and guard your heart/values…eat right, sleep right, exercise right, interact with the “right” people, and expose yourself to the “right” stuff whether it be books, magazines, T.V. or the internet.
3. Daily-Stay away from spaces, places and faces that run counter to God’s values and in turn weaken your heart.
4. Daily-Develop a helpful heart towards others.

 P.E.A.C.E.

jay@eaglelaunch.com