(considering) 8:28

Texts Reflecting: Proverbs 4, Ecclesiastes 4

With so much of both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (and I’d argue, most of the Bible) focussing on the motivations of people as more important than the actions of the believer, it’s no surprise that people focus on verses like Proverbs 4:32, which reads in the NASB “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life”. It’s been used often to talk about how important desires are in the fight against sin.

What is less often focused on is the section right after that. Verses 24-27 talk about how it’s important to get the rest of our bodies in line as closely associated with that. We often ignore the fact that teh way we live affects the way we think about our lives, and even our affections. If we spend our time saying deceitful things, we will over time find ourselves less capable of loving the truth (24). If we spend our times looking at and appreciating the things we shouldn’t, we’d be less capable of looking at other beautiful things with appreciation (25), and if we spend all our time going into the bad kinds of places, following after evil, we shouldn’t be surprised when we find our desires for walking rightly has also atrophied.

Humans are not merely spiritual beings. The way we act and work affects the ways in which we think and love. We cannot love the things we haven’t tried, and we will likely love the things we spend the most time seeking.

Our hearts are extremely important, after all, salvation comes to those who believe in our hearts about the good news of Jesus Christ. It is by the heart that we love the Lord our God, and that we love our neighbours. And that is why we are told in proverbs 4 that we are to watch over our hearts with all diligence, as that will lead to how we act, but how we act with our bodies, what we say and what we do will also affect our hearts.