No Vacancy!

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Well, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and you know what that means: cheesy pick-up lines, nasty flavored candy hearts, wilted grocery store flowers, and reminders everywhere that you haven’t yet met that special person. The most romantic day of the year can also be one of the loneliest.  We live in a world where the word “love” is just a nonchalant term, during a time period where to have a “love” is simply status quo.  As single young men and women, culture is constantly telling us to open our hearts and love will find its way in.  This Valentine’s Day, I’m telling you that not only should we NOT open our hearts, but we should also be guarding them tightly.  

I was shopping at a local thrift store the other week and came across a grey, crew neck shirt.  It was a lady’s cut, which, as long as it wasn’t too tight, would suit my figure well. Over the front was a bright pink heart. I really wanted to like it, overall the whole thing was pretty; but I couldn’t. As a matter of fact, I was disgusted by it. Why would I be disgusted by a modestly-cut, well-priced, causal top, you ask? The shirt had an open sign inside the heart, that’s why.

Now, before you knock me for being against open signs, hear me out. What do you think of when you see such a sign? I envision unlocked doors. I see a place where people can enter and leave as they please.  From the viewpoint of one who is behind the counter most times, I see people who always want something from you and, more often than not, exit without even giving a tip. I watch as every person that enters leaves behind their muddy footprints or grubby fingerprints. With that being said, is that something that we should model our hearts after? Probably not.

The sad part of it is that that’s the example this culture wants our hearts to follow. It keeps telling us to ‘open our hearts, give love a try’. So many people listen to this and end up getting hurt- spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes even physically. Every person that you let walk around in your heart will leave behind their own muddy footprints. Believe me, it’s a whole lot easier to mop mud and muck off of the shop floor than it is to remove it from your heart.

So what’s the solution? How, especially during this the most tempting time of the year, can we protect ourselves from such a mess? The Bible tells us to:

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” [Proverbs 4:27]

Guard is an active word. There is nothing passive or lazy about standing vigilant watch over something. I can’t just hilly-nilly close the door to my heart and hope that it stays shut. I need to constantly be barricading it.  How do we do that? For starters, fill your life with God’s Word and go often to Him in prayer.  Then, how about taking down that open sign?! In all seriousness, maybe our heart should instead sport a nice, neon, “No Vacancy.” If I’m not advertising that there’s room for rent in my heart, then those that would try to take advantage of me relationship-wise are already filtered out.  The one that finds delight in the Lord, that fills their heart with Him and His Word, reeks to the world around them of contentment and joy.  For those who would seek to use you, those qualities are an automatic turn-off; for the godly person, they generate automatic interest.

Now, I’m not telling you to become a hermit and never socialize with people of the opposite gender. By no means do I think that’s a good idea! What I am saying is that if you keep your heart locked from the romantic emotions game, then that makes it all the more special when you do unlock the door for that one specific person. I think my man will like to enter my heart and not find anyone else’s mess already there. I know I will for his!

So, you can decide for yourself this Valentine’s Day which sign to hang over the door of your heart. As for me, this girl’s got “No Vacancy.” I will, however, be leaning against the door waiting for that one special knock…