Good morning!

If we are honest, we will readily all admit we have “Got Issues”

The question we need to reflect on is how many of our issues might we have potentially avoided if we had followed God’s advice?

Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

In Proverbs, we are warned to keep a close watch on our hearts/minds. Why? Because leaving it unguarded gives Satan open access to our hearts/minds. If we let him in, he will bring extra chaos and confusion via life issues. Issues that often arise in ways most never could see coming.

Satan knows that a mind distracted by debilitating life issues is of no credible threat to him. Likewise, that same type of mindset is likely to hinder us from significantly helping build God’s Kingdom.

It can be hard to be an effective witness for God when pressing issues have life upside down.

While I realize not every life issue is avoidable, some are. But, it requires actively disciplining ourselves to guard our hearts/minds diligently.
Guarding our hearts means sifting through things that come to us as everyday decisions. We must use the Bible and the Holy Spirit (Helper) to test whether or not they are true.

We guard ourselves by keeping our hearts/minds free of a carnal mindset that produces detrimental thoughts (Philippians 4:8 think on these things).

God’s spirit can reveal to the guarded mind/heart whether to proceed or terminate the pursuit of certain thoughts.

NOTE: When we override God’s still small voice (1 Kings 19:12) to pursue our course of action over His, we are choosing to take a chance where we may acquire issues we may not be able to detach from for a long time! If at all.

Let us strive to pray and practice guarding our hearts and minds daily.