“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4: 23

A while back I was scheduled to speak in Orlando, Florida to a conference of couples in leadership from all over the country. Scheduled to speak the next morning, I had flown in the night before to hear a couple of my friends who were also on the program. For once I was able to soak in some great teaching just like everyone else in the audience, rather than being on the giving end.

Following a great evening I retired to my hotel to relax before I had to deliver my own message the next morning. Laying back in the bed, I was channel surfing just being “brain dead” for a few minutes before calling it a night.

Not much was on of interest, so I just kept surfing. Then…suddenly, and unbelievably…there was a scene I couldn’t believe. A woman naked on top, lap dancing on a man’s lap! This wasn’t a pay-for-view. Nor was it a movie. It was straight cable! I was stunned. As my mind raced, and struggled in shock at the same time. I quickly turned it off. I grabbed for my Bible. I had been married over 25 years. My marriage with Cheryl was strong. I was committed and contented. Yet, even as I turned it off quickly and worked to focus my heart and think of Cheryl. Yet, in the back recesses of my mind, a voice said, “Turn it back on. You don’t want to miss this. Besides, no one will ever know.”

What we must never forget that even when we accept Christ into our life in a personal relationship, we never eradicate the old sinful nature in our life. It rears its head at the most unexpected times, in the most unexpected ways. There I was, preparing to speak the next day on “Guarding Your Heart and Home” and yet being tempted to leave my own heart unguarded the night before.

And the temptation was, “No one will ever know!” But there is a huge fallacy in that statement. There are two very key people who would know…me and Christ! How could I even think that I could speak to people the next day on guarding their heart and marriage if there were compromise in my own life. And while people look at what they see of us externally, God looks way beyond that. He looks at the heart…below the waterline of our life. And we can hide nothing from Him. What’s more, He holds us accountable with what we do in our private moments, as well as our public moments.

Because of making the right decision in private the night before, I was able to stand uncompromised before hundreds of couples the next day and challenge them to be on guard, because if we lose it in our heart and home…we lose it all! And the response was overwhelming.

What a lesson to remember…guarding your heart doesn’t just happen…you have to make intentional, and often fast, decisions. And what you decide in private will determine your impact in public.