Stewardship Of My Heart

What is your most important stewardship?

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” 1 Peter 3:15

According to Chuck Missler, our teacher for this course on 1 & 2 Peter, “my heart is my most important stewardship.”  I think I have to agree with him. How I take care of my heart will affect everything else in my life. 

What I allow to be in my heart affects everything else I do and say, whether good or bad.   What I allow my eyes to see and my ears to hear affects my heart.  What I allow myself to think upon affects my heart. (Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.)

Here are some scriptures that speak to this subject:

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Matthew 12:33-37³³Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. ³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. ³⁶But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (In Matthew Henry’s commentary on these verses, he says, “the heart is the treasury, the words are the things brought out of that treasury and from hence men's characters may be drawn, and may be judged of” Our heart and our words are connected. If my heart is focused on Him, my words will be also)

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.

Proverbs 11:22 They that are of a froward heart [are] abomination to the LORD: but [such as are] upright in [their] way [are] his delight.

Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart [is] the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour [is] humility.