INTRO:
Proverbs 4:23 in the NIV is the theme verse for this series:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring
of life.” The ESV has it: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for
from it flow the springs of life.”
The Hebrew translated “heart” here (lev) is a word that might
be translated “mind” or “intellect.” It’s used almost exclusively of
human beings in the Old Testament. As the Hebrews used the word, it
was something animals didn’t have. It occurs 858 times in the Old
Testament. The Contemporary English Version of the Bible translates
this verse: “Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the
source of true life.” Today’s English Version has it: “Be careful
how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” The Living
Bible has it: “Above all else, guard your affections. For they
influence everything else in your life.” To the ancient Hebrews
the heart was the mind, including all thoughts and emotions. They
saw the heart as the seat of emotion, but unlike us, they also saw the
heart as the seat of thought, whereas we see the brain as the seat of
thought. When they used the word we translate “heart,” they were
never referring to the blood pump in the chest cavity.
However, studies of people who have undergone open heart
surgeries have revealed personality changes in many. One
explanation for such changes is that as the patient’s blood is circulated
through a machine while surgery is being done on the heart, it is
contaminated to an extent, affecting the brain, thus causing behavioral
changes. Another theory is that the heart actually is involved in a
person’s emotional makeup.
Studies of heart transplant recipients has revealed personality
changes that match the personalities of the donor! How this all works,
we don’t really understand, but it seems to be in line with the belief of
the ancient Hebrews, who believed what God told them, that “the life
of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11).

While I understand that the biblical “heart” is not necessarily the
organ in the upper left side of our chests, I must say that I like the 2
expression “guard your heart.” It fits with even today’s usage. We
say, “He’s got heart,” or “He’s got such a good heart,” or “She gave
him her heart.” They say that here in the South, we can say whatever
we want to someone, as long as we add “Bless your heart!” So, I’ll be
using it throughout this series, and by it I’ll be referring to “the seat of
and the function of reason, including everything we ascribe to the
brain: power of perception, reason, understanding, insight,
consciousness, memory, knowledge, reflection, judgment, and
discernment.”
This morning I want us to consider the question: Why would God
tell us, “Above all else, guard your heart”?