Do you feel comfortable talking about what’s going on in your heart? Many men don’t. Culturally, “heart” is a feminine word that brings up images of romantic movies, Valentine’s Day, and sentimental talk.

But here’s the thing: Jesus didn’t think the heart was soft; He thought it was strategic. He said: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, emphasis added). In other words, the heart is mission control—and #34 on my alphabetical list of 70 things every man needs to know.

The English word heart doesn’t communicate the full weight of the original word’s intended meaning in the Scriptures. The heart is one’s inner self, comprised of three parts:

• The intellect is the rational man.
• The will is the volitional man.
• The feelings are the emotional man.

Proverbs 4:23 says nothing is more important than your heart: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

For this reason, I believe the single greatest thing you can do is to let God change the core affections of your heart. Why? So you can be transformed and conformed into the image of Jesus, mature and complete, not lacking anything (see 2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 8:29, James 1:3).

Christianity is not about gritting your teeth to be a “better” man. It’s about becoming a “different” man — a new man through the transformation of your heart. Don’t be tempted to settle for second things like perseverance, courage, and other virtues — important though they are. Because “if only for this life we have hope in Christ. We are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Here are a few thoughts on how to look after your heart:

• Start each day surrendered. Humble yourself before the cross and yield to the lordship of Jesus. 
• Understand that your desires drive your behavior. Men ultimately do what they want to do. Therefore, if you want to change your actions, ask God to first change your affections.
• Let God do the surgery. Heart transformation is a spiritual operation. Your job? Stay on the table. Consecrate yourself to holiness and let Him work.
• Spend time in God’s Word. Note the chain reaction:
  Right reading → Right thinking → Right believing → Right behaving.
  You won’t live in a way that pleases God until you believe the truth at a deep, heart level. And that starts by first absorbing truth through God’s Word.

As men, we can’t ignore our heart. We must guard it—above all else. Nothing is more important than aligning the core affections of our heart with Jesus. It’s how we become fully alive.

And when your heart is out of alignment with His? Go immediately to a quiet place and stay there until you hear His voice, see His face, feel the warmth of His embrace, and experience the salty taste of repentant tears running down your face. I’ll do the same.

Much love,

Pat

Questions for reflection and discussion: 

1. Reflective: How would you describe the core affections of your heart?
2. Knowledge-based: According to Luke 6:45 and Proverbs 4:23, why is the heart so central to how we live and speak?
3. Application-oriented: Have you been guarding your heart? If yes, how? What have you been prompted to do differently?