“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
The Importance of Heart
The “heart” within the western worldview most often refers to emotions and affections. The “heart” in Scripture and throughout the history of the Church however, referred to something much more. Throughout Church history the heart refers to the center of man’s being both physically and spiritually; it is the center of all life and the definer of all activities and aspirations. To be sure, this includes emotions and affections, but it encompasses everything that makes one’s personhood. Most often the heart is linked to one’s spirit.
The Orthodox Patriarch Theophan says this of the heart, “The heart is the innermost man, or spirit. Here are located one’s complete dependence on Him, and all the eternal treasures of the spiritual life.” The heart is filled, as Kallistos Ware writes, with “dragons and lions…, and there are poisonous creatures and all the treasures of wickedness; rough, uneven paths are there, and gaping chasms. There likewise is God, there are the angels, there life and Kingdom, there light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace: all things are there.”
The Center of Man’s Being
If the heart is the center of man’s being, we quickly understand why Scripture is so emphatic that we guard it at all cost. Most of us know through experience the ongoing battle that rages within the heart. But it’s important that we understand that the battle for our hearts begins in our minds. Dallas Willard used to say what you do ultimately depends on the ideas you have. Those dragons and lions and poisonous creatures were understood in the early days of the Church to be “thoughts.” Our enemy assails us first and foremost through our thought life. So how do we guard against these thoughts?
When our minds are rooted in love that comes from God, our heart and mind connect. The connection of mind and heart leads to the experience of inner stillness that the monastics called “pure prayer” or union with God. Stillness is marked by the enjoyment of divine light in the body and senses. When we “think” rightly, we are ultimately allowing our heart to be connected with our mind, which in turn leads us to act rightly. After all, EVERYTHING you do flows from your heart. Ultimately, the cultivation of stillness is what helps us protect our heart. To cultivate stillness we begin by intentionally becoming aware of our thoughts. To cultivate stillness requires us to pay attention to what our thoughts actually are.
Three Types of Thoughts
Generally speaking thoughts fall into three main categories: Fleeting thoughts, thoughts that matter, and eternal thoughts.
Fleeting Thoughts
We all know fleeting thoughts well. You’re driving down the street listening to a podcast on health goals and you see a yellow car…
…which reminds you that your yellow shirt that had the stain on it needs to go to the dry cleaners…
…and since we’re on the topic of cleaning, you remember that your coffee mug which has been sitting on the counter for a week now needs to be washed…
…suddenly you have a hankering for coffee.
5 minutes have passed and you didn’t hear a word of that podcast. Fleeting thoughts: one little thought sets your mind racing.
The Thoughts That Matter
The thoughts that matter consist of things that we hold most important. These thoughts make up our longings and hopes. These are the thoughts surrounding the things that we dwell on the most often: finances, health of loved ones, relationships with friends or expectations at work. What are the thoughts that consume most of your mental energy? The answer to that question leads us to understand the thoughts that matter.
Eternal Thoughts
Lastly, eternal thoughts. These eternal thoughts comprise, in a spiritual sense, our heart. These thoughts are the very essence of our being. Faith, our cry for love and acceptance, hope, joy – these are eternal thoughts.
Think About Your Thoughts
The thing about these thoughts is that we know not all of them originate within ourselves.
Have you ever been watching your children play and suddenly are overcome with the “thought” that one of them might fall on the playground, face-plant and knock three teeth out? Yeah, me neither.
Sometimes it’s even more subtle, you’re in a meeting at work and your boss calls you out in front of everyone for a job well done. Immediately your mind goes to work, “did he really mean that? He’s probably just saying that. Am I doing my job well? No, he’s probably just trying to make you feel better…”
Other times you’re sitting with a dear friend and a thought suddenly emerges as they’re sharing a story with you – “she’s weary and tired, but trying to push through, she needs rest.”
Some thoughts come from ourselves. Other thoughts originate from God. And yet others, from the enemy. And therein lies the battle. How do we know what comes from where? And how can we make sure that we are tuned in to the voice of God – which is the voice of love? This is why it is so important to cultivate discernment and intentionally think about our thought patterns.
A Rubric For Thoughts
When we begin to understand the layers to our thought life, we can begin to understand the way our thoughts affect us. But how can we begin to think about our thoughts? There are four questions that you can begin to use as a rubric for reflection on the thoughts that come into your mind.
- What are they?
- How do they appear, and in what order?
- What do they suggest to us?
- Which are the most troublesome or resistant?
Finally, as we answer these questions, we can use 1 Corinthians 13 as the standard by which we discern our thoughts. Does the thought that’s popped into my head sound like 1 Corinthians 13? If you want to know what the voice of God sounds like, simply reflect on 1 Corinthians 13. The voice of God is the voice of love – always. When a thought comes through that doesn’t have the aroma of love, we can bring truth to bear as a weapon.
When we begin to notice our thoughts, we are better able to understand where they come from and how they either seek to move us towards love, death or indifference. The way of God is the way of love. When we seek love, we are able to better fend off the attacks of the evil one who wishes nothing short of our demise. This is one of the main ways we guard our heart; we start by guarding our minds. When our minds are guarded, we are able to as Paul writes in Philippians 4, think only of what is true, honorable, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. When our minds dwell on those things, our hearts experience a stillness and our actions will follow suit.
Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.