February is the shortest month. It is also a month that has a few observances, such as, Canned Food Month, National Bird Feeding Month, National Cherry as well as Grapefruit & Hot Breakfast Month. It is also American Heart Month.
I had the privilege of bringing the message yesterday at The Way. It had been over a year since I stood behind a pulpit, and I must admit I was a bit nervous. I decided to talk about our heart health, after all it is February. Just as it is with our physical hearts, there are risk factors to spiritual heart health.
God must want us to consider our heart health as the heart is mentioned almost 1000 times in the Scriptures. Proverbs 4:23 tells us the importance of heart health: “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
In the OT, the word for heart is often translated as “mind.” The NT also links our hearts and minds using the Greek word “kardia.” That is because the Scriptures integrate the inner being into a “whole” much more than we do now. (How often have we heard someone tell us to “Listen to your heart, not your mind.”)
Our hearts are that spiritual part of us where our thoughts, emotions, desires, and will dwell. It is the inner core of who we are as a person and it determines the choices we make, and the actions we take. That is why Proverbs 4 doesn’t end with simply reminding us to guard our hearts. It also reminds us about our thoughts, our speech, our focus, and our actions.
“Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.” [4:25-26]
