You've Heard it Before...Guard Your Heart

I've been listening to this series in which Pastor Duane Sheriff of Durant, Ok is talking about guarding your heart.

I would like to say with confidence that I often practice this, but there are times when I've let things creep into my heart that I was unaware of until it's too late.

Anyhow, as I was listening to this series, the words the minister used about guarding your heart really ministered to me. And though it makes perfect sense to me now, I don't think that I would have ever been able to break it down the way that he did.

He called it, The Process of Our Life and it went something like this;

What we hear affects our thoughts and our thoughts affect our feelings and our feelings affect our actions. How powerful, but yet also true, is this?

He went on to say that when our heart is overflowing with bad things that the bad will counteract the good and how you will never get rid of the negative things until you counter it with positive things. In fact, he suggests that for every negative thing that comes into your heart, counter it with at least five positive things. I haven’t had to use this suggestion yet, but I plan on it the next time I am faced with anything negative (whether it be a negative comment spoken into my life or a potential negative situation that arises in my life).

I think that the people we choose to hang out with also play a part on what is deposited into our heart. You've also heard the saying, "Misery loves company." For as long as I can remember (including grade school), I have chosen not to hang out with people who are negative ALL the time. We all have our bad days. But, if we choose to surround ourselves with negative people, the chances are great that we will become negative as well.

I am always inspired to surround myself with people who will deposit positive things into my heart and, more importantly, in my life.