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…
