SAFEGUARD YOUR HEART

AN OLD man on a Caribbean island emerged from his shelter after a hurricane. As he viewed the damage around him, he realized that a massive tree that had stood for decades near his front gate was gone. 'How could that be,' he wondered, 'when smaller trees in the vicinity survived?' A look at the stump of the fallen trees provided the answer. The inside of the seemingly immovable tree had rotted out, and the storm had merely exposed that unseen deterioration.

What a tragedy it is when a true worshiper who appears to be firmly rooted in the Christian way of life succumbs to a test of faith. The Bible rightly says that "the inclination of the heart of man is bad from his youth up." ( Genesis 8:21) This means that without constant vigilance, even the best of hearts can be enticed to do what is bad. Since no imperfect human heart is immune to corruption, we need to take seriously the advice: "More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart." (Proverbs 4:23) So how may we safeguard our figurative heart?

Next time: Regular Checkups-A Must

Watchtower, 2001