day 3

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”  When we talk about giving your heart to Jesus, what we mean is that you are giving Him full authority to rule in your life, crafting and shaping your heart's affections. Today, we will look at this idea of guarding your heart, because your heart’s desire will shape the course of your daily life.

Read Matthew 5:27-30:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

1. GUARD YOUR HEART
What is the purpose of a lure when someone goes fishing? A lure mimics something good but ultimately seeks to ruin your life. Lust is a deadly lure that can destroy your life. It is the act of continually looking at the opposite sex in a way that fuels sexual imagination. The word “looks” in verse 28 can be translated “keeps on looking.”  This type of looking stems from the sinfulness in our hearts.

James 1:14-15 says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (ESV)

Notice that the lure originates from the desires of our heart. This is why guarding our hearts is so important. However, guarding our hearts is only possible when we first have a relationship with Jesus.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

True life is found only with Christ as Lord. Protecting your heart allows Jesus to be the Who and What you desire most. The opposite is allowing your sinful nature to control your life, which leads to destruction.

To guard your heart is to fully surrender to the Lord, trusting that what He has for you is far better than your sinful desires. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?” Only Jesus understands our heart. We must not only trust Him but also ask Him to make us aware of our sinful ways.

2. GUARD YOUR EYES
Try walking in a straight line while turning your head left or right. It doesn’t work. Where your eyes look, your heart follows. Jesus uses serious language when addressing an eye that causes us to sin: “Gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29)

Sin is serious – so serious that not only did Jesus die on the cross to save us from its punishment, but we must also confront it immediately and intentionally, no matter how painful it may be. Take a moment to pray and ask God to forgive you for any specific sins you recognize in your life.

What are some ways your “eyes” might create possibilities for you to give in to sinful desires?

Take precautions and set up boundaries that will help you avoid giving in to temptation or being tempted in the first place. Remember, a lure is a trick, and lust will lead you down a dead-end path, not giving you what you truly want or need.  Don’t get trapped by the lure of your own desires by minimizing the impact of “looking” in your life.

3. GUARD YOUR HANDS
In verse 30, Jesus takes it a step further by talking about cutting off your arm if it causes you to sin. Once again, this is not meant to be taken literally. Instead, Jesus is helping us understand that our heart, eyes, and hands all work together.

It’s quite simple: what you do with your hands is driven by the posture of your heart. We sometimes think playing the part in public is enough, believing it’s the only part of our lives that matters. This mindset is what gets us in trouble, and eventually, what you do in the shadows will affect what your hands do.

You may be able to play the part well for everyone else, but the Lord knows what you do in private. He knows your thoughts, and nothing is hidden from Him. But remember: He still chose to send Jesus to die on the cross for you. He still wants to save and change your life.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Guarding your hands is about surrendering your entire life to Jesus and trusting that even when you mess up, His grace is greater.

Here are some great ways to begin guarding your life and letting Jesus have full authority over your heart:

• Connect with Jesus Daily
• Spend time reading the Bible, praying, journaling, and listening to worship music.

• Commit to Community & Accountability
• Attend church regularly (Sundays and Wednesdays) and share your desire for accountability with others.

• Create Boundaries & Reflect on Your Heart
• Set up safeguards to avoid temptation and regularly check your heart to ensure Jesus remains at the center. Confess any sin and reaffirm His authority over your life.

Don’t let the lure of lust bring guilt into your life, for God sent His Son to free you from sin and shame. Trust that Jesus knows, and He still loves you. He has freed you from sin, and when you fully trust Him with the throne of your life, there is no better person to lead you.

“You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 (CSB)

Loving our enemies is hard! It doesn’t come naturally to us. Jesus understands how hard it is, and He knows exactly what he’s asking of you.

Notice what Jesus says:  “You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” The context here is important. Jesus is speaking to a large crowd made up of mostly Jewish people. He’s quoting a teaching found in Leviticus 19:18: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Did you catch it? What the Scribes were teaching sounds good. It sounds right. But when we compare it to what Jesus actually said, the differences are huge. Not only did the Scribes leave out the “as yourself” portion of the verse, but they added something that was never there: “and hate your enemy.”

The Scribes and religious leaders took a command from the Lord and completely altered it. It’s dangerous when we change God’s Word. A lot of things might sound biblical, but they could actually be a dangerous misinterpretation of Scripture. That’s why it is so important to read and study the Bible for ourselves instead of relying on what other people say. Jesus is about to set the record straight. Not only is He going to correct what these people have been taught their entire lives, but He is also going to take it a step further.

2. Pray for those who persecute you
In the original Greek, the two verbs Jesus uses are present imperatives. Basically, these words are commands that require consistent, habitual action. Jesus is instructing the crowd, and us, to love and pray for our enemies consistently, regardless of their response. There is no time limit on this command. We are to love and pray for them indefinitely.

We need to be clear about one thing: loving and praying for your enemies doesn’t make you a child of God. The only way we’re adopted into God’s family is through Jesus’ work on the cross. This verse is saying that loving and praying for our enemies shows that we are children of God. When we love and pray for our enemies, we reflect God’s character.

Enemies of God
In the book of Romans, Paul explains that without Jesus, we are all enemies of God. By choosing our way instead of God’s way, we put ourselves in direct opposition to Him. We choose to sin, and our sin has consequences. We deserve death. And this isn’t just literal death; it is eternal separation from God.

God loves us. He desires a relationship with us. He took the punishment we deserved by dying in our place. When Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 to love and pray for our enemies, He does so knowing exactly what this sacrificial love will require of Him. Jesus endured brutal torture and death on a cross because of His love for us, fully aware that we may or may not choose to love Him in return.

When you hear the word “enemy,” some of you may think of people who have caused you lasting, deep, and horrific pain. When Jesus commands us to love and pray for our enemies, it’s not because He doesn’t understand what He’s asking. He is the perfect example of what it looks like to put this into practice. When we love our enemies, His character is on full display in and through us.

You were an enemy of God. If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, you’re still an enemy of God. But despite that, He loves you, and He’s provided a way to come back into His family. We cannot truly encounter or understand the love of Jesus without being changed by Him. But because we’ve been loved by a good, gracious, and kind God, we can love others too.

If you have a relationship with Jesus, your life should look different from the lives of those who don’t know Him. It’s easy to love people who love us back; it is much harder to love those who hate us or have hurt us.

Now one last verse: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We already know there is no way we can be perfect. That’s why we need Jesus. You can’t do this on your own. Trying to do so will only leave us frustrated and disappointed. We need God to change us, help us, and guide us in doing this. That requires a deep surrender and trust. Remember, you’re not alone. Jesus sees you and understands you. Lean into that truth today!