Annual physicals. Not something I look forward to, but I know are a necessity. The process is always the same. I wait in the reception room until a nurse calls my name. On my way to the examination room where I will wait some more (this time clothed in a paper gown), the nurse checks my height to see if I have shrunk over the year (yes, it happens as you age, yuck!), and then she asks me to step on the scales (yes, another yuck!). Once in the small examination room, I sit on a paper-protected, padded “table” while the nurse takes my blood pressure, checks my pulse, and asks a plethora of questions about my current health. And then I wait.

Finally, the doctor arrives. She reviews the nurse’s report, takes note of my blood pressure and pulse (so far so good), and then along with checking my ears, nose and throat, and the health of my lungs as I breathe deeply in and out, she uses her stethoscope to listen to my heart. With great focus she listens to ensure that my heartbeat is not out of rhythm. Then a blood draw is ordered to determine the health of the blood flowing to and from my heart. So why such a concern about the health of my heart?

Well, in an article published by the Harvard Medical School, it states that “the heart beats about 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime, pushing millions of gallons of blood to every part of the body. This steady flow carries with it oxygen, fuel, hormones, other compounds, and a host of essential cells. It also whisks away the waste product of metabolism. When the heart stops, essential functions fail, some almost instantly.” In fact, the CDC reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing over 600,000 people a year. This is why the medical community encourages us to protect our heart with healthy eating, exercise, weight and stress management, as well as eliminating unhealthy habits like smoking. In other words, guard your heart, because it affects the quality and longevity of your life.

Well, the same is true when it comes to our spiritual life; we need a healthy spiritual heart. Why? Because “it is the place where emotions and desires begin; it is that which drives the will of man toward action . . . a spiritual organ that drives man’s behavior.”[1]  This “heart” drives the choices we make, the actions we take. So, it is no wonder that we are given this admonition in Proverbs 4:23 (NLT):

“Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

We must guard our hearts  from . .

• from anger, bitterness, or resentment.
• from jealousy and envy.
• from selfishness─self-centered motives and manipulations.
• from lies that tell us we are unworthy or without hope.

We must guard our hearts . . .

• from the pursuit of the things of this world that supplant a pursuit of the things of God.
• from the pleasures of this world that supersede the delight of His presence.
• from seeking the approval of people instead of the approval of God.
• from placing our will and our preferences over the will of God and the truth of His Word.

For sure this is not a definitive “guard-your-heart” list. Everyone’s list may look a little different, but what is the same is the need for each one of us to be intentional about maintaining a healthy spiritual heart.

So maybe like me, it’s time for an honest evaluation of your desires, your choices, your actions—an honest evaluation of the condition of your heart. Maybe like me, you are overdue for a spiritual physical by the Great Physician, the One who can fix every heart.

[1] “What is the heart, according to the Bible?” compellingtruth.org