Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:23-27

When we were in Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks ago, one of the events happening in the city was the Marine marathon. I’ve never run a marathon, but I do understand the idea of training.

The Christian life is not a sprint. It is a marathon. For the Christian who wants to make the most of life, everything begins with the heart because when we speak of the heart, we’re speaking about the core of who we are. And so the warning to guard our hearts recognizes how easy it is to get off track and allow our hearts to grow hard and cold.

Now, guarding our hearts is more than what we keep out, but what we allow in to the deepest part of our being has just as much impact on our life. After all, all of life flows from our heart according to the proverb above.

• Be intentional in your speech – speaking what is true and right and helpful
• Fill your eyes by focusing on the goal straight ahead of you.
• Use the mind God gave you and give careful thought to the way you walk through life.
• Resist the urge to compromise, don’t turn to the left or right.
   

So, how intentional are we being is guarding our hearts?