Reflections from Proverbs 4:20-23

How did you get here?

It is rare to find a case where items of extraordinary value or items that present an extraordinary threat of harm to others is left unsecured.

 

Security guards, security systems, reinforced walls…etc are strategically positioned and deployed to control access both in and out.  Anyone or anything that doesn’t have specific and vetted authority is not given access to the secured areas where those items are and even if they are given access, their every move is monitored in order to prevent theft, misuse and/or destruction.

Do you realize that you hold something of extraordinary value? Something that when handled appropriately will determine the success you have, your multi-generational impact, the quality of life that you will experience and will impact every relationship that you have?

This precious treasure is your HEART!

Your heart is the repository of your innermost treasure…your wisdom, your emotions, your passions, your appetites and it is also the divinely determined filter that information and experiences flow through in order govern the way you experience life as influenced by the choices you make under your heart’s influence.

 

Your heart impacts the depth of your perception, the degree of your participation and the development of your priorities.

So why don’t we take more responsibility for guarding our hearts like the precious treasure that it is?

We let negative thoughts linger…We entertain negative people…We cling to fear…We cling to doubt…We hold on to hurt…We allow an unforgiving spirit and vengeance to reside…We even allow feelings of unworthiness to dwell.

Instead of allowing what is true, edifying, hopeful and ultimately life giving to deeply penetrate our hearts we leave our hearts exposed and unguarded so that the enemy can steal, kill and destroy the seeds of wise and purpose-filled living and success before they even get a chance to take root.

I invite you to examine your heart.  Examine not only the choices that you have made but the underlying emotions or heart influences whose results are the choices that are limiting you from experiencing “the best of you”.  As you see “uninvited guests” in your heart, feel free to have a “Deborah Cox moment” and ask, “How did you get here?”  Well if you are honest…They got in because you had a breach, didn’t arm the system or left an entry point open or exposed.

I encourage you today to arm your systems and guard your hearts because your heart determines the course of your life.

 

Ask God to help you to bring your system up to date, to help you to evict any “uninvited guests” and to remedy any breaches.  Your heart is too valuable to give everyone and everything open and easy access.

Is your heart safe?

Proverbs 4:20-23 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Be Blessed,

Soul of a Man (ZBJ)

Reflections from (Matthew 6:5-6)

Public Demonstration should be a reflection of Private Dedication!

Beware of the one who craves public performance without a commitment to a pursuit of perfection in private.

From Praying, to Preaching, to Teaching, to Speaking, to Playing an Instrument, to Coaching, to Managing Others….etc. Our true motivation will determine the eternal value of what we choose to do.  Pursuing a publicly praised persona as a primary priority renders our pursuit pointless.

 

NEVER CRAVE THE VOID VALIDATION OF THE CROWD. It is an illusion, with a time-stamped expiration date at best.

The allure of applause appeases the appetite of the immature and the self-righteous.  It is seeded in pride and produces poisonous fruit, pitiful productions, and painful personal engagements.

To make what you are doing really matter, it starts with an inspection of the Heart…it begins with introspection.

God inspects our hearts to determine the actual worth of our actions. He knows our hearts through the time that we spend with Him “during practice”, not by what we say or display concerning Him “during our performance”.

What are you doing in private to perfect that which God will get the glory from publicly? Does your public display mirror your private devotion or are you so concerned with the “Shine” that you have neglected” the “Grind”?

Matthew 6:5-6“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

I

Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that [same] time men began to call on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving]. GENESIS 4:25‭-‬26 AMP https://bible.com/bible/1588/gen.4.25-26.AMP

Some of the most vivid memories I have in life are of the moments when I experienced loss. Losing a relationship with a person who finally revealed disloyal, deceptive or destructive intentions... losing a game that I spent countless hours preparing for... losing a loved one to death or distance... losing some state of innocence due to a violation of trust. 

Loss hurts. 

No doubt. That's a fact but, how we respond to loss will define our ultimate legacy. 

In 2020, like every year, there have been and are wins and losses. We should take lessons from both. What we take from our losses tends to shape our character more deeply because it takes faith and hope to recover from a loss and to live with the expectation that you will ultimately win! 

After experiencing not only the loss of a child, but the loss of a child at the hands of another one of their children, Adam and Eve had to have been devastated. It was such a severe series of losses that they could easily justify blaming themselves, turning their backs on God, rejecting His command to be fruitful and to multiply and abandoning their legacy, but they didn't let the story end nor their legacy die with the loss. They took God at His Word, had another child and during his child's lifetime a unique period of worshiping God through prayer, praise and thanksgiving was born. 

In this moment...the second half of a challenging year, look what was lost dead in the eyes and proclaim: I am not defined by my losses! I will not abandon my legacy! I will WIN! 

What have you learned from what you have lost? What steps of faith must you take to resume your pursuit of destined legacy and purpose? What wins will be birthed from your losses? Don't let the pain of a loss lead you to abandon your true legacy! 

 Be Blessed! Soul of a Man