Guard Their Hearts

Proverbs 4:23
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”

I was reading a book recently that stated some disturbing statistics. In this book, it said that in 2006 there was an estimated 905,000 children in the U.S. that were victims of abuse or maltreatment. In the same year it said that there were 1,530 child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect. The book also said that by the time a child graduates from elementary school they have seen 8,000 murders on television and 100,000 other forms of violence… and that is if they don’t have cable!
So, why am I sharing all this disturbing information with you? Because the Bibles says to “Keep thy heart with all diligence…” Another version says the “Guard you heart above all else…” (NLT) So the Word of God for us is that we need to be very careful to protect, guard, and keep watch over our heart. Because what enters our heart will come out. The NIV says it like this, “Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life”. So basically its “garbage in-garbage out”! So as Christians we understand that we need to protect our hearts from the corruption of the world around us. But what about as parents?
As parents we need to look at this verse and remember that our children’s hearts need to be guarded and protected at an extremely high level. I am not talking about sheltering them from everything that can be harmful and then let them grow up and find out what the world is really like on their own. No, what I am saying is shelter them and educate them on dangers of the world. Explain God’s path for their life from His Word. This is a great place to start…

Proverbs 4:23-27 NLT
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

As Christian parents it is our ministry and our responsibility to protect our children’s hearts from the violence and corruption of their surroundings. It is also our job to teach them the Word…
We need to teach them to be careful of their words but also of their friend’s words. Ask them, “Would Jesus want to hear the words that are coming out of your friend’s mouths?” As parents we need to teach our kids to “mark out a path”, in other words, “make the determination” to follow God’s path for their life no matter what! Always stand for truth, always be true to who God made them to be, and never compromise their integrity as a child of the living God. We need to teach them to be aware that the devil is real and he doesn't want them on this path. But if they stay focused on the Lord and “keep their feet from following evil” then they will grow up to be the men and women of God that they are meant to be. Remind them that they are God’s “masterpiece” and that they were “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that God has plans of “hope and a future” for them. But with everything that I have said… “Guard your (and your children’s heart) above all else.”