A HEART HEALTH FORMULA

 PROVERBS 4:20-23 NKJ 
20 My son, give attention to my words; 
Incline your ear to my sayings. 
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; 
Keep them in the midst of your heart; 
22 For they are life to those who find them, 
And health to all their flesh. 
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, 
For out of it spring the issues of life.  

I know some may cringe at the usage of the word formula especially as it applies to spiritual things.  But if we look at a definition of formula, it is "directions for making things."  Another definition is "a conventionalized statement expressing some fundamental principle." 

A fundamental principle here is guarding our heart, our inner man.   And these verses give directions for doing just that.   

"My son give attention to my word; incline your ear to my sayings."  These two directions address our focus.  What are we looking at?  What is the biggest voice in our lives?  When our focus is God's word as opposed to the noise and distractions of life, we are going to be much more guarded and much less inclined to be moved off course and troubled.   

"Do not let them depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart."  This also involves focus and our thoughts and imaginations. What we keep on our mind gets in our hearts.  Our thoughts are powerful and thoughts about God's word are even more powerful still.  For they (God's words) are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.  We have most probably underestimated the power of God's words.  They are spiritual life when we make them our own, and that life impacts our flesh.  Things start with the spirit and trickle down to our flesh.  "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.   

As we guard what we put in our mind and in our heart, we are protecting the strongest part of our being.  Spiritual strength from our heart impacts all areas of our life.   

APPLICATION 

Run through the Proverbs formula again.  We may have looked at spiritual strength and guarding our hearts as nebulous wooo wooo stuff, but there are real answers here.  Mental and emotional health answers.  Physical health answers.  Relational health answers.  We pay attention to spiritual heart health because out of our hearts flow life, and strength.   

PRAYER 

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your word and Your directions for protecting and strengthening my heart.  There are legitimate answers with you.