Above all else, guard your affections

Proverbs 4 v.23.

What is the meaning of this, applied to our lives? It is obviously a very crucial piece of advice.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

if we listen to what Jesus is preaching in the gospel he’s telling believers about his eternal kingdom that’s not of this world. This promise of eternal life with him after this world .

It’s hard to desire something you’ve never seen and only heard about more than what we see every day and touch and taste in this world

its telling us that what we set our hearts upon is really important. I can spend my life pursuing money , fame , popularity , possessions , lusts of the flesh ect many things of this world can capture my hearts desire

were taught to keep our affections towards God and also another rather than worldly things . For instance if I have enough money and someone else doesn’t and is in need do I care more about keeping extra money ? Or helping the person with it ?

were tested like this daily in life many ways and situations are testing where our affection and desire really is where our heart actually is God wants our heart our desires our affections on him and each other

and our affections can’t remain on the old things of the world

Proverbs 4:20-23

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen

were not made of things which do appear.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1, 3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

first God said let there be light and then light began to shine from darkness

first God said a son would be born of a virgin and then later he was born of a virgin

first God said it ,

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
‭‭John‬ ‭12:48-50‬ ‭

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

and it shall be so but first we have to hear what he said and respond

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭10:21-22‬ ‭

faith caused the darkness it was spoken forth by God to Moses in the form of a command “ lift thy hand towards the heaven that there may be “ faith will always lift up the hand

“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:16-

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:2-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How in the world could anyone disagree with loving God above all else? IF we love God above all else, we will fulfill all the statements in the 4th Chapter of Proverbs. Sometimes I think folks just "x" a comment because they have some issue with the person who posted it.

Goodness............Scripture itself tells us to love God above all else. As Pilgrim said in his comment:

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:2-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh well.......the way it is here on the Forums

Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Psa 15:1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
Psa 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

lêb
labe

A form of H3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything.