March is here. Magazines and the internet are full of suggestions on how to clean, organize and spiffy up your home. Have you begun to dig deep into those cracks and crevasses? Cleaned any cupboards? Uncovered any mildew? Dirt happens. You leave things alone and dust appears. Welcome mats are supposed to keep dirt from coming into our homes, but even in homes where the custom is to remove every shoe before it hits the inner sanctuary a broom or vacuum is still needed.

It is the same with our hearts. They collect clutter, grime and junk that need to be dealt with periodically. Ignoring the dirt that accumulates by living life can have profound consequences presently and perhaps long into the future. Proverbs 4:23 reveals that it is from within our hearts that the issues of life flow. Different Biblical translations shed light on this important verse.

The New King James Version: Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

New Living Translation: Guard your heart above all else, or it determines the course of your life.

The New Revised Standard Version: Keep your heart with all vigilance, or from it flow the springs of life.

Young’s Literal Translation: Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it are the outgoings of life.

Keeping your heart with all diligence, guarding your heart above all else, keeping it with all vigilance, and above every charge keep thy heart: each of these instructions are quite strong in their wording. Hearts must be guarded from anything that would pollute, harden or divide our relationships with God or others.

Thoughts come from various places. They come from what we see, what we do, and what we choose to think upon. God desires the state of our heart to be clean, tender and united. Salvation begins in our heart. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9 What an amazing transformation that begins. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.? This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

At the point of salvation, our hearts are not only clean from the sins of our past, but we now have the Holy Spirit of God abiding within us as well. Wouldn’t it be great if that was all there was to it?

But life happens. Most young believers find their heart tender and responsive to the Holy Spirit, and they declare “Father, I will do anything you ask”. Reading Hebrews 3:7-10 they may declare, I will never harden my heart like that. How could the Israelites have done such a thing, after all the miracles God did for them. But, somehow the disconnect began to take place and instead of staying amazed at God’s might and power—the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, the manna which appeared daily (etc) they grew used to those things and their hearts began to grow cold.

7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ Hebrews 3:7-10

How does this happen? It happens because there is a lack of vigilance in guarding the heart. Thoughts and feelings enter the heart and at that point choice happens. The Israelites began to focus on what they didn’t have, how hard things were, what they didn’t like about Moses and his leadership style—this led them away from faith into frustration, fear and foolishness.

The same thing can happen to any believer. Entertaining negative, doubtful or unforgiving thoughts can slowly poison the springs of our life flow. What begins as an irritation can fester overtime to full blown resentment and bitterness, by which, as the scripture declares many are defiled. They can take years to germinate, but they will eventually pollute your heart—skewing thinking and responses to God as well as the family of God.

Unfortunately we have seen the results too often of what happens when a heart is left unguarded and allows jealousy, envy or criticism to take root. The book of James warns us.

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.
15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. James3:13-16.

Unfortunately, the greatest casualty is often the next generation who have tasted the bitterness of their elders and turn away from following the Lord.

How can we more diligently, vigilantly guard our heart?

• Accept the fact that “dirt happens” to everyone, and needs to be removed. Things that touch our life, can come with garbage attached.
• As in any good cleaning, begin by emptying your heart before the Lord. Examine your heart and motives. Join King David in the prayer “Create in me a clean heart O God.” Psalm 51:10
• Clean before and after “company”. A flood of thoughts and emotions especially during times of hurt or disappointment can harbor potential weed seeds. Hearts are most vulnerable when they can “justify” anger or hurt attitudes.
• Systematic cleaning. When taking communion, take the time to renew your commitments and awareness of how much you need the Cross of Jesus Christ for your own forgiveness.
• Obey the Holy Spirit quickly.
• Determine to be a “germ free zone”. Proverbs 31:11 declares The heart of her husband safely trusts her. Our hearts can become “safe places” for anyone, but especially our family members.
• Rejoice in the Lord always. Out of your belly flows rivers of living water, these rivers bring cleansing with them.

This exhortation is for everyone, those young as well as those older in the Lord. Take time to maintain a clean heart. It is well worth the energy!

Written by:Martha Rodman