Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. – Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
Have you noticed how easy it is to lose focus? Maybe you went to a summer camp this year (if they had them where you live), and you got really excited about God and living for Him. However, now that the school year is in swing and you’re busier, have you noticed that it’s easy to lose focus on Jesus?
It’s easy to let your friendships and relationships distract you from God. That’s why today’s Bible verse says to guard your heart.
If you’ve watched soccer, you know that one player’s position is to be the goalie. Their job is to guard the goal so the other team doesn’t score. In soccer and many sports, a good defense is really important to winning.
The same is true with our hearts. We need to be guarding our hearts. That means that we have to have some measures in place so that our hearts don’t begin to value other things higher than God.
Guarding your heart might look like saying no to going on the weekend canoe trip because you know that you’ll be challenged to do things that you know aren’t right. It might mean not listening to certain music or watching certain shows.
Challenge yourself to get honest and put a priority on guarding your heart. Don’t let relationships take you away from God.
Today’s Challenge: Help someone else, leave a comment with ideas you’ve found helpful for guarding your heart.
Want to go deeper? Check out our 5-day devotion: Every Teenager’s Guide to Successful Friendships.
