Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
After teaching the book of Proverbs, I find myself once again blessed by its teachings. One lesson that is constant in the book is character and integrity, and those two start in the heart. The basics of everything we do and who we are is based here. For that reason Proverbs covers this topic in almost all the chapters of the book. Many times I have made the mistake of confusing integrity with behavior. I have taught my kids how to behave. I have taught them what not to say and what not to do. I have put lots of emphasis on what they do and what they ought not to do. Teaching them all that, although it helps them, it will not guarantee that they will stay faithful in the faith. That will teach them how to behave, but it will not assure that their Faith will remain.
Teach them to watch their heart. Teach them to walk in integrity. Teach them to fear the Lord. Teach them to walk in righteousness. Teach them in the way they should go in their walk with the Lord. In the same way we walk in the Lord. Help them memorize the word of God and understand what it means. Let’s teach them to be careful with their hearts.