Heart Guard

“Child-proofing.”

“Baby-proofing.”

Whatever you call it, a lot of time and money goes into making sure our children are safe from preventable dangers.

While, I am far from being a “helicopter parent,” after three kids, I am well aware of potential hazards the moment I walk in a room.

I sometimes feel like I’m wearing a Google-Glass-like contraption that highlights everything in my peripheral vision, alerting me to unplugged sockets, stray Legos, and unlocked cabinets with hidden dangers lurking inside.

---

As a modern mom, my kids head to the beach slathered in sunscreen and snapped into their Puddle Jumpers. I cut their foods into manageable bites and cringe a bit when they eat fruit kabobs off of skewers at Nana’s.

I secure them in their car seats and boosters, make them hold hands while walking through parking lots, and keep them close in the grocery store.

While all of this is important and necessary, I am reminded how often I neglect the unseen part of my children-- their hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else…”

As a parent, I am responsible for my child’s safety– physically, emotionally, spiritually. While I cannot be with them 24/7, or protect them from all dangers, I can certainly do some "child-proofing.”

Guarding their hearts means I am selective about:

The television shows I allow them to watch,
The music I choose when we’re in the car,
The friends we hang around …

(Just to name a few).

But sometimes I am a lazy guard because sometimes I forget that there is an enemy out there competing for their hearts.

Sometimes I brush off the “little things.”

I’m tempted to think that because they don’t understand the lyrics to a song then it is harmless.

I’m tempted to overlook a little complaining or disrespect in a television show instead of turning it off because, honestly, it’s keeping my kids quiet and entertained for the moment. 

But the heart goes deep.
The heart is important.

The verse, again-- “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

While I don’t believe hearing one “bad word” or copying one bad attitude will ruin my child’s future, I do believe that over time, these minor security breaches can become a complete invasion, compromising their life’s course.

It all starts in the heart.

Let’s be parents who protect our children’s hearts in an even greater manner than their bodies (which is A LOT!), so that there would be nothing that would hold them back from a deep, fulfilling relationship with their Creator.


WORD OF THE DAY
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8


PRAYER
“Father, help me today, first and foremost, to guard my own heart. Show me the places where I’ve allowed “little things” to slip in. Help me to be mindful of my children’s sensitive hearts. Help me to hear your still, small voice of guidance as I seek to honor you in my parenting. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”


Author: Katie Gibson