Where is Your Heart (YOUR STUFF). . . Do You Know? (Proverbs 4:23)

Proverbs 4:23 is posted RIGHT in front of me on my desk.  I can't even remember (or maybe I don't WANT to) why I put it there...I'm sure it had something to do with my heart.  Sometimes I find myself just staring at it...like it's this "deep" scripture.  So, today, I decided to think of a few interpretations for this verse.  I found a few on some Bible sites, and went from there.  I strongly believe that Bible is relative to who's reading it.  One person can read a Bible verse and depending on what they are going through in life, it could mean something COMPLETELY different to them.  Is that right? Well...who knows.  The only person who REALLY knows what the interpretations are is the person who wrote it.  All we can do is pray for understanding and discernment as we read.  Anyways, the scripture reads:

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life".

*Some translations use the word "guard" in place of "keep" and "flow" in place of "springs"

I'll save MY INTERPRETATION of this verse for the end...a little hump day surprise...although I'm sure the title will give you some sort of clue of what this verse means to me right now.

Interpretation (1): "Keep" your heart.

Literally, keep you heart, the same way you "keep" your house.  Now, if your house is dirty, then by all means, you may not want to keep you heart the same way.  On occasion, I may let my apartment get a little out of control if I have lots of stuff going on.  I mean, it's only me who has to be there right?  Well, when I think of it this way, sometimes I let my heart get messy as well. I'm not proud of it, it's just true.  There are days, just like my apartment, that I don't want to let anyone see what's going on in my heart, or they would think I was a trifling mess.  But, also like my apartment,  after a few days, I get sick of looking at it, and have to clean it.  Same goes with my heart.  I get sick of carrying around something that I KNOW needs to be cleaned.  Those are the days that I have to get in prayer and ask God to renew and cleanse my heart...and mean it.  You ever "straightened up" instead of "cleaned up"?  Yeah, one is much different than the other.  I'll leave it at that.  Moral: A clean heart is free of dirt, which will lead to a dirty life...or "being messy"...o_0 

Interpretation (2): Physically...keep your heart, for out it springs the issues of life.

Yep, could do better with this one...considering I just had a buffalo chicken samich (<<<not a typo) for lunch.  We all have taken at least one anatomy class in our lives, so we know the heart is where it all starts.  It pumps blood to our body, organs and all.  If the heart isn't healthy, then everything else is just down hill from there, and "issues of life" will mean something completely different when you have to physically fight for it. Moral: STAY HEART HEALTHY!

Ok...((((insert DRUM ROLL HERE)))))))

MY INTERPRETATIONS

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life".
...just in case you forgot the verse :)

I immediately interpreted this (no matter when I read it) with sharing your heart in various ways, which is why I asked the question: Do you know where your heart, or your STUFF is? In the raw, I would say to myself: "MaNesha, giiiiiiirl you need to START WATCHING WHO YOU LEAVE YOUR HEART UNGUARDED FOR!! 

Interpretation (1): Your heart or your MOUTH...?

I'm very transparent about my feelings, sometimes to a fault.  I mean, what's there to hide.  No one is a mind reader, and sometimes talking about the "issues of your heart" is a good thing...until those issues show back up when you don't want them to.  Now, some people are just messy hearted (scroll back up and get an idea of what this means), and you have to find out the hard way that you probably shouldn't "let it all flow" with them.  It's a lesson worth learning.  A prayer of discernment is a good starting place. Moral: Keep your MOUTH with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.

Interpretation (2): "Keep/Guard" your heart
Have you ever given your heart to someone, and then found yourself saying, "I WANT MY HEART BACK!"...or "...NOW HOW DID MY HEART GET LIKE THIS?" or "I HAVE NOT SEEN MY HEART IN MONTHS, WHERE IS IT?"  Well..dear...it's probably with someone who is aware that they have it and does not want to return it, or is unaware that they have it and therefore can't return it. And it got "like this" because you gave it to someone who isn't going to keep it like you can or how you thought they would...sort of like letting someone borrow your car, and they know good and well you don't like smoke, but your car smell like cigarettes when you get it back...? o_0....just trifling.  Or, when you give your heart to someone and they don't even know where it is anymore...like your favorite CD that you let your friend borrow thinking they wouldn't lose it....like they lose theirs...?  Right....so if someone doesn't care enough to keep their heart in a safe place, what do you think they'll do with yours.  I trifling mess.

Definition of Trifling (tri-fl-ing): To attend to something as if it was of little significance or importance

*that's from memory not Webster's...or from memory VIA Webster's how 'bout that
Moral: Keep your heart, don't give it away to just anyone...or you will have a spring of issues in your life



That's all folks.  Hope this made you laugh on this lovely Wednesday afternoon, because I sure laughed typing it!  SMOOCHES!