Guard Your Heart
[Note: This is a direct transcript of the spoken audio. It reflects the natural rhythm, emotion, and raw conversation of the episode, rather than perfectly polished grammar.]
Welcome to Gritty Mama. I’m Emily, your spiritual midwife.
We don't fear the dark here—we walk through it together, because I know that in the messy, intense labor of the soul, we are never alone.
We are here to peel back the layers to meet the truth, and ultimately, to meet the One who holds it all together.
Because before there is the glow, there is always the grit, and your healing is worth the labor.
Let’s get into it.
**Over the years, I’ve learned that the heart is the common denominator in every healing journey; it’s the center point where our external and internal worlds collide. It’s what navigates our reality. That’s why today, I want to explore the vital importance of guarding yours. Let’s begin.**
[The Vital Center]
Our heart is the most vital organ in our body. It’s what provides life to the rest of our body, right.
I mean it pumps blood to every part of our body, carrying the oxygen and the nutrients necessary to life.
Sooo, if the heart stops, life stops.
And, because the heart is so essential to life, it’s the first thing that we check for in an emergency situation.
Umm, I have actually been EMR certified in the past, and I have been CPR certified multiple times. (And if you don’t know what EMR is, that’s Emergency Medical Responder. I didn’t actually know what that was until I was gonna take the class, so just figure I’ll throw that out there for those who are questioning it. Um, and I think everybody knows what CPR is, but, anyhoo, moving on.)
So, one of the first things that you learn when you’re learning CPR is to check for signs of life. And what you do is your checking for a heartbeat, and you’re checking for breathing.
And, um… so… when it comes to your heart… if they can pump your heart and give you breath, then your body can live. Even if it’s braindead. Like, this just, it just shows how essential the heart is to life - even when other important organs, like the brain, fail.
The bodyy - as long as the heart is engaged and active, the body can live.
So, umm [mirthless chuckle]... I don’t know if I would call this a fun little story - I was about to but, I mean, not really fun [inhale] - INTERESTING, how about that. So my grandma, when she - back when she died – I was 15, and um… not that that’s really relevant, but [a reflexive laugh] anyway [inhale] – When my grandma died [exhale], um… she was actually kept - her body was kept alive, in the hospital for, I think it was a few days… and the reason why they chose to pull her off of life support is because she was brain dead this entire time. There was no signs of… life, other than the fact that there was machines breathing for her, pumping her heart… um… she was gone. But this just comes to show that, again, if you can keep the heart engaged and active… there, you know, the body can live.
With the heart being so critical to life preservation, it’s no surprise that it also becomes the primary target when life is meant to be taken.
Because if you Destroy the Heart, you Destroy the Life.
In fact, hunters actually tend to aim for the heart; because they’re shooting to kill. And the heart and the lungs are the largest vital target area in the body. And if you aim for one you may strike both.
This is especially good for novice hunter because you got a larger target, an easier shot, and more certain the kill, right.
[The Strategy of the Hunter]
Interestingly enough, Satan is also a hunter.
Jesus actually explains this in John 10:10 where He says “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.”
And then in 1 Peter, chapter 5 verse 8, it says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Lions are some of the most effective and strategic hunters.
I don’t know if any of you have ever watched, like, one of those, um, documentaries, or whatnot; but I remember my grandma used to watch, like, the Animal Planet - I think that’s what it was called [laughs] oh my gosh! Sorry, I haven’t thought about that one in a hot minute. But uh, I just remember some glimpse, vague memory of a lion, prowling through this, really tall, grass or whatever and, pouncing [nervous chuckle] on some, what is it - a gazelle, or something, I don’t know.
But anyway, so… to get back to this, lions are, you know, like I said, some of the most effective and strategic hunters. [Inhale] Now… any hunter knows… that… stealth is the key to keeping the prey from fleeing or fighting.
And this is also super important… um… in the case of Satan because doesn’t actually have the authority to kill us himself. Much like we don’t, technically, have the authorityy to hunt game without a license [nervous chuckle]. Buuut, much like a poacher, who doesn’t really care if they have the authority or not, he’s stilll… hunting for the prey, and - stealth - is - still - key.
Um, the other thing is, Satan does not attack randomly. He is very methodical, and VERY skilled. You gotta remember guys, he’s been doing this since the beginning of humanity. He’s been around A LOT longer than we have.
Because of that he is EXTREMELY experienced, and knows exactly what works best. I mean, he is THE professional [reactive snicker] and… he always goes for the heart. Not just physically, either, but like, the very CORE of who we are.
And that’s because our heart is the center of our very being - both inside and out. Meaning body AND soul.
EVERYTHING about ourselves, from our personality and our character, to our actions and motivations, to our will, and desire, and emotions - it alll - starts - in our heart. And that’s why in Proverbs 4:23, the Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
I cannot tell you, enough, how important it is to be on guard. Because when you Destroy the Heart, you Destroy the Life. Which also means, what controls the heart, controls the life. And I don’t just mean, like, the physical life - but, like, the whole person - every aspect.
Annnd, what’s easier to control the heart, thannn to control the emotions?
That is something that I have noticed… with myself… is that every. single time. the enemy tries to hinder meee, he is always starting by attacking my heart. And almost every single time, it’s also through the same susceptible person that I hold dear, because they are close to my heart; and therefore an easy tool to be used because they don’t even know they’re being used.
[The Hidden Weapon]
Now, emotions aren’t bad, but they ARE powerful.
They’re a person's response to their living situations. Annd if you can get someone to react emotionally, chances are you’re going to get an immediate reaction, instead of a calculated response.
And Satan uses all forms of negative emotions against us. In fact, things like fear, anger, shame, desire, and offense, all tend to provoke immediate reactions, rather than… the calculated responses - which prevents us from using wisdom and truth.
Anger is one of the most effective emotions to cause us to perform in a destructive manner, and to have destructive behaviors. And the reason for that is because it’s actually a blanket emotion for something else that hurt us.
In other words, there is a plethora of other emotions that can actually come out as anger. And, that’s also because, you’re hurt… and hurt people tend to hurt people - I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase, right? Hurt people hurt people? And, um… the reason for that is because… we’re holding pain in our heart. And whatever it is that we’re holding in our heart is what comes out of it.
Just to give you another Biblical example, in Luke chapter 6 verse 45, (just paraphrasing for you) it says, “good treasure in the heart produces good, evil treasure in the heart produces evil.”
Alsooo, anger was actually the FIRST emotion that Satan used as a weapon to take human life.
If you recall back in Genesis, the first human death was when Cain got angry and murdered his brother.
Genesis 4:5 says that ‘Cain was angry’ and Genesis 4:8 says ‘Cain killed Able’.
[The Calculated Response]
Satan was able to get to Cain’s heart through his anger.
Because what happened was Cain - brought - a - CARE-less offering to the Lord. He didn’t actually care enough about the Lord to think about how nice of a gift he was giving. And his lack of care caused him to be in a lower, more vulnerable position, to the enemy’s stealthy tactics.
Able, on the other hand, brought a THOUGHT-ful offering. He thought about what the Lord deserved, and he chose to offer his BEST. And it was his thoughtfulness that brought him to a higher, safer, more defensible position.
The story of Cain and Abel shows us that caring is actually a condition and not an emotion. And much like, back when I mentioned the EMR training… an EMR cares for the patient. Any - medical - professional - cares for the patient. It’s a thoughtful act, not an emotional one.
So all of this talk about emotions and what’s in our heart just shows that, Satan uses internal conflict to minimize his efforts while maximizing his results. Because he gets TOTAL elimination, through MINIMAL effort.
I mean what a better, easier, and stealthier way to make an enemy fall than to have them do it themselves. I mean, come on. [Chuckle] Right?!
And that’s how Satan uses our emotions to his advantage as a hunter. He picks the easy target of our heart, with the weapon of our own emotions, resulting in us doing the dirty work for him, and then we incriminate ourselves while he gets off scott-free.
Which againn, is whyyy in Proverbs 4:23, when it says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Because if you Destroy the Heart, you Destroy the Life.
Emotions are directly connected to our heart. Because, as we’ve discussed, the heart is the core of our being, it’s the thing that drives us. And emotions are the roots to our thoughts and actions.
[The Willing Weapon]
My pastor back before we moved, used to say “What’s in your heart will spill out on those closest to you.” My friends, I cannot tell youuu, enough, how true that statement is.
I, myself, used to be extremely angry, and very resentful. I was a lot like Cain after his unfavorable offering. Because of my anger and, and… well, because of my anger [nervous chuckle] I would lash out at those around me - which was really my husband and my kids.
My anger at my situations is what caused me to be a willing weapon for the enemy and I didn’t even know it. My heart was in a state of despair, I was just sooo hurt, and angry and upset, that, I was not only dying inside, I was killing those around me by attacking their hearts. Knowingly and unknowingly. [Inhale] We won’t even get into the [nervous exhale] what that does to a person - the guilt and the shame and… [inhale] uh, that’s another topic for another time.
[The High Ground]
But… out of my experience I’ve learned something. And that is… you hhhave, to let, God in. You have to let God in.
[Large inhale] Like Abel thought to keep his heart close to the Lord, we too, must be mindful to keep our hearts close to the Lord.
The High ground is the safe ground. It’s easily defensible. Annnd, when we are higher up, that’s - you know, we’re closer to God.
Or rather, when we're closer to God we’re higher up [reflexive chuckle], annd, God will fight our battles for us. In fact, there are several verses that confirm this. One example being Deuteronomy, chapter 20 verse 4. It says “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you, against your enemies, to give you victory.”
When our hearts have been wounded we MUST seek emergency care so we don’t bleed out and die. And who better to fix something than the one who created it. The best medic IS the Creator Himself.
In order to receive care, it is necessary to be close and hands-on. We cannot receive help to preserve our life if we don’t allow the emergency responders in, and allow the emergency responders to touch us.
In Psalm 147, verse 3, it says (talking about God) “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
In order to preserve our life and protect our hearts, we HAVE to let God in. We HAVE to let God touch us.
Friends I tell you from experience, you have to let Him - so He can Restore your Heart, and Restore your Life.
Hey friend!
Before you go, I just want to say “thank you” for hanging out with me today! It REALLY means a lot having you here and I hope I was able to do my part in making this episode enlightening for you.
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on today’s topic. ANY feedback or questions you may have are more than welcome!
If you would like to take a deeper dive into today’s conversation, or you have a topic you’d like to know more about, come shoot me a message at GrittyMama.com/connect. Of course, this is also where you can send your feedback and your questions.
If you enjoyed today’s episode and would like to help spread the word, then please subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss a beat! And share it with your loved ones so they can get in on the action, too.
You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram - just go to GrittyMama.com and click on your icon of choice at the top of the page.
And if you do decide to help spread the word via Socials, please do tag me in your post! I greatly appreciate you and your support in spreading the word and making this happen!
Don’t be a stranger - I look forward to getting to know you better.
Talk to you soon, my friend!
m’Bye
