I HEARD THAT out of the hundreds of leaders in the Bible, only 30 percent finished strong. Many were sidetracked by abuse of power, pride, moral failure, and the mishandling of money.
Current studies show similar patterns. It’s estimated that only 20 percent of modern spiritual leaders reach their full potential. Among Christians not in full-time ministry, just one in five finish well. That’s deeply troubling.
How can we overcome and finish strong? I believe we find our answer in Solomon’s wisdom.
PROVERBS 4:23 (NIV)
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
The underlying meaning of the word guard suggests exercising great care over something. It also means “to post guard,” similar to a soldier standing guard at a place of entry.
When we care deeply about something, we exercise great care over it.
Do you remember how much you took care of your first car? Or if you had a newborn, do you recall how often you got up at night to make sure the baby was okay?
Solomon is telling us to exercise that same care over our hearts. Why is this important? Because everything we do flows from our heart. A contaminated heart affects our entire lives.
When I was 16, my family moved into my great-aunt’s house. The property had been neglected, so I was cutting down weeds and overgrown shrubs when I discovered a water-softening system on one side of the house. The lid had fallen off, and the tank had sediment, frogs, and slugs in it.
Imagine your heart being like that tank. If the filter fails, contamination will flow into our lives. Here are four vital areas that we need to “filter,” or monitor:
- The Place We Give the Word of God
For our heart to remain open and uncontaminated, we must have intimacy with God’s Word. But it has to be more than a scripture on the refrigerator. When a crisis comes, our response needs to flow from God’s Word.
- Influences in Our Lives
Psalm 1:1 warns us not to walk “in the counsel of the wicked” or sit “in the seat of mockers.” Who are the frogs and leeches in our lives—the people who sap our faith and pull us into compromise? Boundary lines are essential: some relationships must be outlets (where we give) rather than inlets (where we receive).
- Unresolved Hurts
Just as debris settled at the bottom of that water tank, hurt, unforgiveness, and disappointments can collect in our hearts. If they’re left there, all that sediment will rise to the surface when adversity strikes. We have to let the Holy Spirit dredge it out.
- Blind Spots
We all have blind spots. That’s why we need accountability—a trusted “band of brothers” who will speak the truth in love and help us see what we can’t.
Here’s the Paradox:
Guarding our heart begins with opening it. If we’ve been hurt, it can be tempting to lock down and keep our heart closed. But doing that will only cause the sediment to harden.
When my wife and I adopted our daughter, I vowed to keep my heart at arm’s length for one year. I wanted to stay emotionally distant until the adoption was final because I didn’t want to get hurt in case something went wrong and she was taken from us.
But when they placed her in my arms, I melted. I knew I would always love and protect her, no matter what. What am I saying? To guard our heart, we have to open it to God, to healing, to wisdom, and to love. Only then can we filter out what doesn’t belong.
Our call is to finish well. Let’s guard our hearts with wisdom. Let’s keep the Word close, watch our influences, deal with our hurts, and invite trusted people to help us with our blind spots.
Let’s be the ones who don’t just start the race—let’s be those who finish it strong.
Author
Paul Cavenah
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