Heart week day 4: guarding your heart part 1

Hey girls! I can't believe that tomorrow is the end of heart week! Today's post is by Anna. Anna is a real inspiration to me. I respect her so much! Not only is she a lovely friend, she's also my ballet teacher (now ain't that cool! :)!!!! ) Her post is about guarding your heart and I know you will be blessed by it. Because my computer is going wacky this guest post is divided up into 2 parts. So after you read this (part 1) scroll down so you can read part 2! :)
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"Guard your heart, guard your heart…
Don’t trade it for treasure, don’t give it away.
Guard your heart, guard your heart…
As a payment for pleasure, it’s a high price to pay.
For a soul that remains sincere, with a conscience clear,
Guard your heart.”
– song by Steve Green


“Guard your heart” – it’s a phrase we’ve all heard. But what does it mean? And why does our heart need guarding?

First off, I’m not talking about the blood-pumping organ located deep inside your body, although if you value your vitality, you will – literally – guard your heart from being harmed. But I’m talking about a different heart, the core of who you are, the representation of your deepest desires and strongest emotion. This is what you must guard.

Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Obviously, this heart is important to God, and He knows how easily it can be led astray. So, he asks us to guard it, “above all else.”

Our heart can be captured by many things, such as money, power, or a drive for a certain thing or achievement. We must guard against seeds of bitterness, anger, pride, and jealousy that want to take root in our heart. We must guard against a divided heart, and instead pray for one devoted to God.

As a single young lady, our heart often yearns most for a significant relationship with a young man, one that will lead to marriage and a home of our own. Most girls have this longing from the time we’re small, and we wonder just who the Prince Charming that captures our heart will be. These desires arn’t bad; I believe God plants the desire for love and a family in every maiden’s heart. But, like many desires, they can be taken too far.

What does "guard your heart" look like in context? Do we look up all such emotions, and vow to not even think about romance until we are ready to get married? Uh, no. Frankly, that's impossible. It's not how God made us. He gave us a longing to be loved and to love deeply, and it's not something we can just will away. And yet, those desires ache when they are unfulfilled.
Although it would be nice to not be distracted my thoughts and attractions until we meet the one we're going to marry, it's not realistic. It happens to all of us; a young man captures our fancy, and suddenly we are faced with the question "what if?" and hopes that it will, someday... What now? Have you blown it, left you're heart unguarded?



No, the feelings will come. It's a normal part of growing up and the desires God has planted in our hearts beginning to awake. The feelings aren't wrong, it's what you do with them that's important. If you entertain the feelings, think of the spare man in all your spare time, and let what he thinks consume what you do, you've gone down the wrong path.

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(Continued in the post below)