Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else heart, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
In biblical language, the heart is the centre of the human spirit, from which spring motivations, thoughts, emotions, courage and action. If we don’t guard our heart, we’re going to be in trouble.
When Leonardo da Vinci was painting his masterpiece ‘The Last Supper’, he needed a model for his Christ. He tracked down a chorister called Pietro Bandinelli in one of the churches of Rome, who was boyishly attractive and fresh-faced. The painting took years to complete – in fact da Vinci turned his hand to other works until eventually he determined to finish it. He’d painted all the disciples except Judas, so now he was looking for a face which was hardened and distorted by sin. He came across a beggar who welcomed an easy way of making some money by just sitting there in front of da Vinci. Once they were finished, da Vinci said: “I have not yet found out your name.” “I am Pietro Bandinelli,” he replied, “I also sat for you as your model of Christ.”
Whether that story is true or not, it’s a tragedy when innocence is corrupted, when beauty is distorted. Maybe I have a heightened sensitivity to this because I come back from Africa into Western culture in a very abrupt way (within a few hours on an airplane), but I am amazed about how many followers of Christ don’t guard their hearts. We will watch anything on TV and read the most trashy magasines without discerning that their impact is to turn our wellspring into a cesspit. How can we possibly hope to stay spiritually sharp and sensitive if we constantly allow filth to blunt our cutting edge?
Please, please, guard your heart. It is the wellspring of life. What goes in comes out. If you feed it trash, that will come out. ‘What is this doing to my heart?’ is a great question to ask in any given situation.
Lord, I choose to guard my heart today. Amen!
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