Counsels on Self-Identity

Counsel #10 — Heart After God

Picture: Counsel #10 — Heart After God CI 139.1

What’s flowing out of your life? Is it peace, purity, purpose, or something else? To guard your heart is to pay attention to what you allow in and what you live out, especially when it comes to protecting your mind, soul, and spirit. CI 139.2

A man of God doesn’t just drift into holiness by accident. He decides what voices get to speak into his soul, and he knows that unchecked exposure to lust, gossip, sarcasm, or comparison will slowly erode his clarity and witness. Guarding your heart is about being faithful consistently and not allowing outside influences to determine your thoughts or actions. Godly men will always recognize that they’re carrying the name of Christ, so nothing they say or do will misrepresent His image. The heart of every man isn’t just a muscle - it’s a battleground! As surrendered men of God, He asks you to live continually in His presence. Invite Him into your desires, your playlists, your inbox, and all your decisions, and let Him show you how to live righteously in a world needing an accurately winsome picture of who God really is.^[149] CI 139.3

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10 NIV CI 139.4

“Draw nigh to Him by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His Word.” Ellen White in Our High Calling, p. 96 CI 139.5

Reflect: What worldly influences are distracting you from drawing nearer to Christ? CI 139.6