Guard the Grieving Heart

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The Hebrew word for “guard” is natsar, which means to relentlessly defend what matters most.

In my quest to better understand grief as well as healing, I spent time learning more about what it takes to guard our hearts. During that time, I developed this simple weekly practice:

Play It Honest (Respect). I commit to defining my emotional reality and playing the upcoming week emotionally honest. I choose not to hide, stuff, minimize, or use anything as an excuse to run toward an unhealthy escape.

Play It Back (Reflect). I look at the last week and identify when I didn’t guard my heart or define my emotional reality. I try not to focus on what I did but instead on what was happening underneath the surface.

Play It Out (Rewrite). I look ahead to the upcoming week and imagine myself in that same situation, but this time, I rewrite what a Christ-centered response could be.

Play It Smart (Refuel). If everything flows from my heart, I must intentionally refuel my heart. The more I refuel, the easier I find it is to access the parts of me that have been buried.

If we are committed to healing, then we must also be committed to our health, mentally and physically, and nurture our whole selves, bodies included. Depending on your mobility and capacity, this may look like taking a daily walk or cooking fresh food a few days each week. Having a standing lunch or phone date with a loved one is another form of caring for ourselves. Perhaps treating yourself to a new book or making a new playlist. As long as it brings us joy and fills us up, all of this counts as care!

Choosing to embrace the process and submit to the slow and smooth way of grief allows us to grasp the hope that we each so desperately long for. I want you to know that you are not alone, and you will get through this. You will find peace and hope and a whole new chapter of life as you focus on caring for and nurturing your heart as you heal.

Pray with me:

Gracious God, thank you that your peace will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus today. Amen.