“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)
What is in our hearts eventually comes out through our words, actions and associations (Matt. 15:19) We have to "guard" our hearts against evil influences and not let them be instructed/influenced by unrighteousness. As our "hearts" go, so go our lives. For me, I have to watch what I see, what I hear, where I go, who has influence in my life, what counsel I'm given, what music plays in my head, what movies I go see, what TV shows I watch, etc. (As you watch your food intake to be healthy, you have to watch your "heart" intake to be holy.) I can't avoid all these things all the time, but I have to "guard" my heart as much as possible to keep evil from getting more ingrained in me. Where evil is already ingrained, I have to "guard" my heart by replacing "bad programming" with "good programming" through scripture, worship, prayer, church gatherings, Christian friendships, etc. This is not a one-time event, but a process for all of us. The technical, biblical term for this "process" is sanctification ("set apart from/to"). We are being "set apart" from some things and we are being "set apart" to others! This is an important aspect of the "process" for how Christlikeness is developed in our lives.
