Guard your eyes,your mind and your heart

[missmuffet]

What does the Bible say about guarding your eyes, your mind and your heart? How can we do that and what does it mean?

[Bob31]

We do it by focusing our thoughts on the "things of the Spirit" rather than the "things of the flesh" (Rom 8:5 and Phil 4:7-8)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2024 by Bob31
Needed to add another passage of Scripture

[missmuffet]

1 hour ago, Bob31 said:

We do it by focusing our thoughts on the "things of the Spirit" rather than the "things of the flesh" (Rom 8:5 and Phil 4:7-8)

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply. This has not been a popular topic since you are the only one who has replied.

Matthew 6:22

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is ^[a]good, your whole body will be full of light.

Our eyes can be used to see which is good or evil. We guard our hearts and souls by guarding our eyes.

 

Satan wants us to allow more and more darkness into our minds through what is in the world

around us.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

Our heart can lead us down the path of righteousness or destruction. Our hearts are

susceptible to many dark thoughts, attitudes and beliefs.

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2024 by missmuffet

[Bob31]

You are right. Guarding our hearts is the Spirit's basic task in His sactifying work in our hearts and minds. I notice that you have Posted a lot of topics on this platform. You appear to be a very thoughtful servant. May God bless you in all that you are doing. Bob

[Sower]

On 9/20/2024 at 9:16 PM, missmuffet said:

What does the Bible say about guarding your eyes, your mind and your heart? How can we do that and what does it mean?

                         (Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
                          Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.)

                                                   *** AND THEN ***
And the 'peace' of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

          Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

                                      Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

                   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
                    Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done

Daily (hourly) I ask, petition, beg and pray 'God' to guard my heart and mind, and 'God' to make my path straight.
The scripture above "promises" that God's peace will guard my heart and mind. God's promises are all true.

[Neighbor]

Oh, I'll ask;

Might one focus so intently on the spiritual that one misses the duty to tend to needs of the body, like a dependable source of water and food?

Sure the spiritual needs are paramount, but so too are the daily needs of the body (Flesh).  And those needs (Of the flesh) will be met for most only with much toiling. 

...“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."....
 

 

[Sower]

5 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Oh, I'll ask;

Might one focus so intently on the spiritual that one misses the duty to tend to needs of the body, like a dependable source of water and food?

Sure the spiritual needs are paramount, but so too are the daily needs of the body (Flesh).  And those needs (Of the flesh) will be met for most only with much toiling. 

...“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."....
 

 

"So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them"

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"
 

                      I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
    In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
                      I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

           
    "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"

                                           "Be anxious about nothing"

                                               God's promises are all true...

 

[AnOrangeCat]

2 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Might one focus so intently on the spiritual that one misses the duty to tend to needs of the body, like a dependable source of water and food?

Sure the spiritual needs are paramount, but so too are the daily needs of the body (Flesh).  And those needs (Of the flesh) will be met for most only with much toiling. 

This is an interesting question. I believe there's certainly a type of faux spirituality where this can be the case. Monastic lifestyles probably fall into that with different vows like poverty and silence and the general isolated lifestyle. The ability to look inward and be content with little are good and well but at some point you have to ask, what does this do to save the lost and/or enrich the body of Christ?

On a similar note I think our egos and personal desires can lead us astray in a way that might seem spiritual. There's certainly fasting where the focus is on the fasting rather than on God. I'm all for developing self control but if an act or a goal we pursue for spiritual reasons puts the focus on us rather than God it's missing the point and it's time to do some serious self examination.

[St_Worm2]

On 9/20/2024 at 10:16 PM, missmuffet said:

What does the Bible say about guarding your eyes, your mind and your heart? How can we do that and what does it mean?

Hello missmuffet, this is an important topic for us to consider, so thank you for broaching it  I don't have a lot of time to post right now, so here are a few thoughts on this matter (from the Lord and from others) that come to mind.

 

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Psalm 1 
   1 HOW blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
     Nor stand in the path of sinners,
     Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
     2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
     And in His law he meditates day and night.
     3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
     Which yields its fruit in its season,
     And its leaf does not wither;
     And in whatever he does, he prospers.

 

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Psalm 119 
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.
11 Thy word I have treasured/hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.

Psalm 119
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

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John 17 
17 Sanctify them by Thy truth. Thy word is truth.

 

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Proverbs 4 (NIV - I like the NIV's paraphrase in v23, so I included it here)
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 

Proverbs 4 (LSB/NASB)
 20       My son, pay attention to my words; 
         Incline your ear to my sayings. 
               21       Do not let them deviate from your eyes; 
         Keep them in the midst of your heart. 
               22       For they are life to those who find them 
         And healing to all his flesh. 
               23       Guard your heart with all diligence, 
         For from it flow the springs of life. 
               24       Put away from you a perverse mouth 
         And put devious lips far from you. 
               25       Let your eyes look directly ahead 
         And even let your eyelids be fixed straight in front of you. 
               26       Watch the track of your feet 
         And all your ways will be established. 
               27       Do not turn to the right nor to the left; 
         Turn your foot from evil.

 

 

Quote

Romans 12
 2      Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

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1 Corinthians 10 
      13      No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

 

Quote

2 Corinthians 10 
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

James 4 
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

 

Also, here is a short commentary on Proverbs 4:20-23 that seemed like it might be helpful.

Quote

The commands in vv. 20–21 all encourage making wisdom a vital part of one’s life. Heart in Proverbs refers to the center of one’s inner life. It is from this place that a person does all thinking, feeling, and choosing. Taking words of wisdom into the heart is of the greatest importance (they are life), because out of the heart flow all the thoughts, words, and choices of a person’s life (from it flow the springs of life; see Mark 7:21–23; Luke 6:45). ~Packer, J. I., Grudem, W., & Fernando, A., eds. (2012) Crossway.

God bless you!!

--David
 

 

Edited October 28, 2024 by St_Worm2
I'm trying to adjust some of the formatting.

[St_Worm2]

Here are a couple of verses that I forgot to include in my last post above.
 

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Proverbs 13
20      He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 

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1 Corinthians 15
33      Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 

 

--David

Edited October 28, 2024 by St_Worm2
Formatting problems.