Guard Your Heart and Mind

Devotion

2-3-10

Guard Your Heart and Mind

Philippians 4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

A sudden quiet had come over the room as Janice and John sat staring at a blank TV. Something had upset John and he refused to talk about it. What was eating at his heart and mind? Why had their evening together suddenly taken a turn for the worse? Janice fought back the tears as John’s silence cut into her heart like a knife. How would she ask him what was wrong and if she did ask would he even reply?  Her thoughts twirled around in her mind but no words came from her lips. John just sat in his recliner, twitching his jaws and staring into space. “What happened? Did I say something?” Janice thought to herself. Then she began to replay the evening to see if she could figure out what had sparked her husband’s sudden silence.

 

“Let’s see”, she began, “when John came home from work he was in a great mood. He even came into the kitchen while I was cooking and gave me a gentle kiss on the neck. We ate, talked, he smiled, and everything seemed just fine. Hum? Lets see, after dinner we went for a walk and admired the beautiful sunset and we noticed a house for sale. We took one of the flyers and I was in awe of how beautiful it was and joked that the price was a bit too beautiful for us to even consider. Then as we walked through the door the phone was ringing and it was Sally telling me all about the amazing trip she and her husband would be taking next spring. I laughed and joked about how awesome it would be if John and I could go with them and have a grand adventure together. I didn’t talk long so he couldn’t be mad that I was on the phone all evening while he was home. Ok, next… really all that is left is we sat down to watch a movie together. It was one we both wanted to see, we even enjoyed the commercials. In fact it was after that last commercial that he suddenly reached for the remote, turned off the TV and just got quiet.”

 

Janice ran the evening over and over in her mind trying to figure it all out. After what seemed to be an hour of silence Janice looked over at her husband and saw a tear slowing forming in his eye. Her heart was breaking. She could stay silent no more. “John, sweetheart, what is wrong? Did I do something to upset you? Why did you suddenly become quiet?” She could see the lump in his throat as he began to open his mouth as if he was going to say something but couldn’t speak. As she waited she began to say a silent prayer for him. A few moments later these words came from the heart of her husband.  “Janice all evening you have seen beautiful things and I have watched your face light up.  I heard you talking to Sally about her big trip and how you wished we could go too. Then when the commercial came on showing how the man gave an unexpected gift to his girl, I felt like you wanted me to do that too. Janice it broke my heart because I can’t give you all those things.  It makes me feel like a pour provider, like I am not good enough for you. I wish I could. I love you so much.” The tears were now flowing down both of their cheeks. Janice hugged her husband and explained that just because she thought something was beautiful did not mean she wanted it. “I was just joking with Sally, I hate Los Vegas, and I have no desire to go there at all.”  Taking his hands and looking him in the eyes Janice promised never to express false desires to him again. She understood for the first time that her husband carried inside him a deep desire to give her the best. Janice reached up, wiped his tears and softly kissed his lips.

 

In her prayers that night Janice prayed, “Dear Father, I had no idea that my words could bring my husband so much pain. Please forgive me. Help me to guard my husband’s heart from an overwhelming need to give me stuff or to take me on fancy trips. I don’t need all that, I just need him. Please remind me Father, before I speak so that I will be mindful of his feelings and respectful of his needs. In Jesus name, Amen.”

 

As wives/ women it is important for us to be in prayer for our husbands / men. They carry inside them a huge burden to provide for their family and in so many ways they never feel as if they have done a good enough job. They become anxious and worried about how they can do more. Most men however, will never tell you this. A man’s pride will often keep this a hidden desire and yet he will live it out by becoming a workaholic or even to the greater extreme he may stop working all together. Then we misinterpret the “why” they do what they do and become frustrated or angry.

 

 So let’s pray for our men. Pray that their heart’s desire will be to give us NOT the stuff of the world but the stuff of the heart and the spirit. Wouldn’t we all like more romantic times with our men just walking hand in hand or swinging in the park? We all want them to be the spiritual head and to teach our children to love the Lord and respect us. We all want them to listen to us. But if our words are not honest or send a false message of our desires they will close us off. We must guard our hearts and theirs.

 

We can help our men  by understanding their needs and not asking for stuff or talking about what other women have or what their husband’s do for them. They take our words seriously ladies. Besides, when we focus of what others have it blinds our own hearts and we begin to build a wall of silence between those we love that may never be torn down. We must guard our minds.

 

Our men need our respect for their feelings. Honor your husband today with a word of thanksgiving for something he does for you. Let him know he is appreciated for all he does.

He is enough, even if he is lost; he is your gift from God.

 

Pray for him and pray for yourself, that you will both guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Note: For the men reading this devotion, remember that the Lord tells you to love your wives as yourselves, this devotion can apply for you as well.  Now if both, husband and wife, are loving one another the way God designed them to, than can you imagine what kind of loving marriage and incredible bond you would have?  Wow, you are your greatest gifts to each other from God.

 

Celebrate your love! Pray for each other daily! Guard your hearts and minds.