Proverbs 23:19

Listen, my child, and be wise,
and guide your heart on the right way.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this theme that runs through the whole book of Proverbs. It has to do with speaking and not speaking. The one who speaks too much, they’re a fool. But the one who listens, the one who doesn’t just say whatever comes to his head, he is wise. It’s almost as if, in this one little sentence, we get a clue into the way to be wise. Listening. Listen, and you will be wise. You’ll at least have a better chance of it. If you don’t, you’ll prove for certain that you aren’t wise.

I’ve had so many interactions and relationships that have proven this to be true. The person who says too much, will eventually say too much.

The next phrase is also interesting. Guide your heart. How often do you think of guiding your heart? We’re very familiar with the phrase, “guard your heart.” But, have you ever thought about guiding your heart?

If you haven’t tried to guide your heart, there’s a good chance you’re in a world of hurt right now. When you don’t guide your heart, but you instead let your heart guide you, things don’t go well for you.

Human beings are complex individuals. We have a body, a mind and a heart. And I’m not convinced yet that the heart and spirit are the same thing. Our body does some things on its own, like digesting food and beating our heart. Our mind does some of those things for us, but we also have the ability to control parts of our mind to do other things. And then there is our heart. Our heart adds the flavor to everything. Our heart is what gives us our passion. Our heart is what gives us love. Our heart is the one thing that can easily derail our mind and our body.

If we don’t guide our heart, our heart will mislead us. Our heart will take us to places we never wanted to go.

Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

So, guide your heart. Don’t let your heart control you. Instead, be in control of your heart. Lead your heart on the right way. And you will be wise.