Look Out!

Prov.4:²³ “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” [with emphasis]

The letter W from the acronym for Solomon’s six winning ways W-I-N-N-E-R is Work with a Purpose. The letter I in W-I-N-N-E-R stands for Insist on Integrity. Prov.10:⁹ “The man of integrity walks securely; but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” [with emphasis]. The world is interested in image so everybody wants to put up a good image. I believe having a good image is a good thing but that is not the most important thing. While the world is interested on the outside [image], God is interested on the inside [the heart].

The only person that can promote you without you being afraid of demotion is God. If man promotes you, man can demote you. But if God promotes you, no man can demote you. Since promotion comes neither from the east nor west but from above and, since men focus on the outside and God focuses on the inside, then where should our focus be? In fact, one of the best advice I ever got was from my spiritual father. He told me, “This work is a heart work; you have a very good heart, guard your heart!” Simplistic as it may sound, I have found this advice to be so true! It is all about your heart; so guard your heart.

David had seven brothers bigger, taller, better built, better dressed and perhaps more handsome than he was. All of David’s brothers were in the army, solid young men. But when God came to anoint a king in the house of Jesse, God skipped seven of them and found David. I want you to know this without any doubt in your mind, if your heart is right you do not need to worry so much about your positioning. God will find you out and God will lift you up. While there is nothing wrong with planning and strategizing, if you have a bad heart, you are just wasting your time. With God, it is all about the heart.

Prov.21:⁶ (LB)“Dishonest gain will never last, so why take the risk?” [with emphasis]. It is possible to gain by dishonesty but God says such gains will never last; so why waste your time? Prov.12:³ “Wickedness never brings real success…” [with emphasis]. It is possible to have some form of success through wickedness but it will not be the real success.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please empower me daily to protect my heart as God has instructed, in Jesus Name. Amen!