Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)
We go to a lot of trouble guarding our stuff. We build safes with locks. Turn on alarms. Hire security. Live in gated communities. It seems like we even have passwords for our passcodes.
I’m pretty sure we spend more time and effort guarding our stuff than our joy. We claim certain circumstances or people steal our joy, but did we even attempt to guard it? Or did we let external forces influence our internal outlook?
Thankfully, there’s good news. We can we deal with these thieves before they take off with our joy. It’s time to put a lock on it!
· L-Look to Jesus instead of others for your state of mind.
· O-Open your eyes to the blessings surrounding you.
· C-Close your mind to joy-robbers.
· K-Keep your heart in tune with God’s purpose for your life.
Imagine this. What if you could stick your fingers in your ears, and say, “I can’t hear you” to your joy robbers? They would flee, just as if they heard an alarm go off. Guard your heart. It’s going to impact every other aspect of your life.
Father, help me watch out for thieves and value the joy you’ve put in my heart.
God’s Grin Gal, Kathy Carlton Willis, shines the light on what holds you back so you can grow. Read her book, Grin with Grace, or find more information at: http://www.kathycarltonwillis.com.