It’s been awhile since I’ve had a moment to write on girlsminister.com. I’ve been busy being a girlsminister, ironically, and haven’t had the chance to put my thoughts into posts. I’ve had several post ideas pop into my heart this week as I had conversation after conversation with students AND leaders. More so than any other summer, I’ve really observed how easily many of the girls in our ministry have given their hearts away. Whether they’ve given their hearts away to crush on a boy band, or to a college guy that led their small group this summer or they’ve given their hearts away to instagram and how many people like their “selfies”. As a result, the theme for this post could best be summarized into three words. GUARD YOUR HEART.

It’s a phrase from scripture that honestly I often heard tossed about by Christian girls to girls that just got dumped. In fact, I think I almost decked a girl once who dropped her advice of guarding my heart too soon after I got dumped in college. As I look back on that, I know she was right, but it was not the right timing. My heart had already been broken in two. It’s like saying to someone who just got robbed, “You should have locked the doors.” It wasn’t the right timing. They needed someone from the Neighborhood Watch to get to them before and let them know the things they could do before a robbery happened. That’s the intent of today’s post. It’s a sisterhood watch, so to speak, before the break in occurs.

Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Girls, your heart is your most valuable treasure to guard. Based on the above scripture, what you give your heart to, you will also follow with your whole life. Meaning, where your heart goes—-so go your dreams, your passions, your focus…the very direction that leads you from the now to the future. Your heart, in a sense, is a compass to where you headed.

If you want to get a glimpse of your future, take a look at what you’ve given your heart to and you may be able to see where you’re headed.

The picture here is that you are to guard your heart like a valuable item. Do not make it easy for people, places or things to gain access to your heart. You have a guard standing there at the only entrance into your heart, and you say to people, places and things—you may enter, or you can’t enter.

This is why it’s absurd for you to tell me that it doesn’t matter who you date,it only matters who you marry. This is why it’s absurd for you to tell me that you pursue a guy based on his body and not based on if he’s IN The Body [of Christ].

Whatever you give entrance to your heart—MATTERS! Guard your heart!

How? Glad you asked.
Philippians 4:7-10 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Let me break it down for you.
1. “The peace of God guards hearts and minds”
You are not doing this in your own strength. In other words, when you have struggles with your thought life, pray to God to help guard against the things that are trying to get in. Don’t just give up and entertain the thoughts and feelings. Call attention to The Guard of your heart and mind. Shine light on those thoughts! Ask Him to kick those thoughts out and replace them with things that are worthy of Him.

2. “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS”
It’s not like you go on through your day not thinking and pursuing things with your heart. It’s just that you begin to “THINK ON” whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely…EXCELLENT.”
That means the way you think about guys. And I know you think your thoughts are private…but ladies those thoughts quickly move to action and that’s why you find yourself acting crazy at 1am in the morning with a goofy note that you are trying to send to a college leader.  Then it gets awkward because you’ve given your heart away and it’s out there for someone to simply break.
Is it pure to talk about guys like they are a piece of meat? no.
Is it lovely to to throw yourself at guys and pursue them? no.
Is it commendable to obsess over guys (even One Direction)? No (and a BIG NO)!
As you begin to invite Christ to “search your heart”, and to give you the desire to pursue the things of Christ—you’ll begin to see why treating guys like eye candy is anything but lovely. You’ll begin to see guys as your brothers in Christ. You’ll begin to see them as Christ sees them and treat them as valuable.

These were just some thoughts that have been on my heart. My heart aches for girls and women that give their hearts to guys and things instead of guarding their heart as the treasure it truly is. There is a war for our hearts ladies. Guard them!

Here’s just a few ways to help you guard your heart:
1. Find a group of friends that have the same mission of guarding their heart, and give them a list of heart security questions to ask you on a regular basis.

2. Start your day asking God to give you strength and wisdom regarding what you allow into the treasured heart you possess so that your life that day chases after the things of God and away from The thief of this world.

3. Read from God’s word daily to continue to thirst after the life God gives.

Take away: Just as you could not imagine hearing in the news that Fort Knox was giving it’s security guards the day off,  you yourself cannot walk through the places you live without guarding your heart day in and day out.  Do not trust someone else to guard your heart for you.  It’s your treasure to protect for life.