Guard Your Heart

You must guard your heart by watching what you hear.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17

Faith comes by hearing according to the Word of God. The message we hear, or read, in the Word enters into our brains and affects the way we think. When we hear a message regarding healing, that details a multitude of scriptures to support the truth that God wants us well and has paid for our healing through Jesus at the cross, we begin to believe that truth. Then our thoughts transition from, “I’m sick and there isn’t anything the doctor can do,” to “Jesus healed me, and I don’t have to accept this sickness any longer!”

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6

The NIV translates Romans 8:6 to say, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” 

Change Your Mind

If circumstances in life have been more “death” than “life,” it is likely due to the fact that our minds are being ruled by carnal, natural, fleshly thoughts. If we want to live the abundant life in peace, our thoughts will have to be governed by the Spirit instead.

A pattern of wrong thinking creates unbelief in our hearts. Anything that we do repetitively becomes a habit, including thinking patterns. It’s like a farm road that has been driven hundreds of times: the tires etch grooves into the soil. For well-worn roads like this, making a turn becomes increasingly difficult as time goes on. In order to change the path, the road has to be grated over, the grooves flattened out, and then a new path can be created.

Romans 12:2 tells us that we are transformed from the pattern of this world by the renewing of our minds. What are we renewing our minds to? We are bringing our thoughts into agreement with the Word of God! To change the direction of our lives, we must change our thinking.

“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.” – Proverbs 4:20-22

So, the first step to changing the patterns of our thinking is to dive into the Word of God, find out what the Lord says, and spend time thinking on those truths!

Guard Your Heart

“So above all, guard the affections of your heart,
for they affect all that you are.
Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being,
for from there flows the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23 TPT

Not only is it important to plant the Word of God in our hearts but we also must guard our hearts from negative influences as well. Faith comes by hearing the Word, but unbelief comes by hearing the world. We seed unbelief in our hearts in the same way that we build our faith—by what we hear and what we see.

When you’re driving or working out, don’t just put any music on. Be intentional about what you are listening to. If it’s a song that doesn’t line up with scripture, turn it off! Don’t just sit in front of a television or cell phone for hours on end. It’s not that you have to cut entertainment out of your life, but pay attention. How much time do you spend putting the world’s thoughts in your mind and how much time do you spend feeding on the Word?

Instead, surround yourself with the Word of God. While you are waiting in line at the grocery store, pull up a scripture or read a Proverb for the day. Put up post-it notes around you with scriptures or positive confessions. Listen to good Bible teachers (our Terradez Ministries podcast is a great place to start: you can find it on Spotify and iTunes). Keep scriptural music on play, and study the Word for yourself. Be part of a small group of like-minded believers. They can encourage you and help identify and redirect negative thought patterns. Build your faith rather than unbelief!