5 Ways to Guard Your Heart During the War

If you’re not experiencing a heightened level of concern about the world right now, you’re not paying attention.

War is hell, not a mini-series to livestream on all our devices.

We weren’t designed for violence, escalating conflict, or death. Our sin introduced these elements into life. Anyone who knows the Bible knows we have much more to endure before we see the new heaven and new earth when we will be free from these distresses.

The division in our own government and in our streets serves to demoralize us even more. When our faith in humanity is stretched beyond capacity, it can lead to questioning our faith in the One who is always faithful.

How do we survive the here and now?

I’m like many of you. I feel responsible to remain connected, to understand what’s happening, to be a witness, and to use my voice when I can. 

Still, what I know about myself is as the first-born adult child of dysfunction, I tend to feel responsible for everything. I’m only a couple of breaking news reports away from Satan convincing me I may be responsible for the world. (Not really, but you know what I mean. You and I, we take too much on ourselves. We carry more than we need to on our shoulders. We create our own emotional, mental, spiritual overload so when the world is misfiring at this level, we’re truly at risk of losing our minds, our hearts, even our faith.)

This weekend, I’m preparing to travel for three days. God was showing me, as I prepared, how I put myself under greater pressure than is necessary. I can’t just pack and go. No, I need to pack as if they hand out free tickets for the most efficient, prepared, organized traveler. I have to be sure my laundry is done, my frig is clean, there are documents for my family “just in case,” my work is up-to-date, and since I have to turn around and travel again two days after I return, I’ve pushed myself to pre-pack for that, too. On top of that, I’m pre-planning for Thanksgiving.

Yeah, I’m wound pretty tight.

God’s voice has been gentle and kind (unlike my own self-talk) as He has reminded me of what He’s reminded me about many, many times. God cares about me and wants my eyes on Him. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary” Luke 10:41-42 ESV.

He is my “one thing,” Jesus. And He is yours. Above all else, we need to create even more space to do the things that keep our eyes on Him right now.

So, let me offer 5 Ways to Guard Our Hearts during the War:

1. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is the one thing necessary. Read the Bible. Sit in silence. Pray without ceasing. Intercede for everyone in the headlines. Worship with others. Worship alone. Listen to ONLY wise, biblical teaching (not the one screaming loudest). Spend MORE time with Jesus than you do with the news, newsletters, or social media. The more we know Him, the more we trust Him. Live in the peace He provides.”He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 ESV
2. Do your job and only your job. Ask yourself if you need to be as informed as Israel’s high command or as the top political operatives or even as a soldier on the ground. Right now, there are soldiers being told exactly that- just do your job. Are you a pastor or ministry leader? Tend your flock. Are you a parent? Lead your family. Are you a prayer warrior? Pray. Are you a concerned citizen? Write letters to congress or speak up for the truth in conversations with neighbors but stay in your lane. Unless you’re a presidential advisor or army commander, you don’t need minute-by-minute updates.  In football, in the military, on the roads, and in life emergencies in general, situations run more smoothly when people do their jobs, stay in their lanes, and maintain contact with the one in charge–that would be Jesus.”O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.  O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 131 ESV
3. Keep the peace you can keep.  Conflict spills over into our daily lives so we must do what we can to be at peace, as much as it depends on us. Be certain of God’s truth but deliver it with gentleness and humility. Listen to others more than you speak. If your anger is not in check, return to #1. “Be at peace among yourselves” 1 Thessalonians 5:13 ESV. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” Matthew 5:9 ESV.
4. Do what you can, not what you can’t. Care for others. Check in with those older than you are, with those younger than you are, and with people who live alone. Be a support. Be a light. Don’t spread fear, spread faith. Give to help victims. Send cards with Scripture verses in them. Speak God’s Word to others. Open it together. Go for walks. Be in nature. Volunteer. Do good. Show up at church. Be God’s people.  ^“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone,” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 ESV.
5. Abscond with Joy, Be Intentionally Grateful.  It serves no one for us to be emotionally overwrought. In the midst of conflict, we must look for moments of joy that feed our souls and be thankful for every small thing to feed our minds. Of course we feel sadness, grief, anger, confusion, conflict, fear, anxiety, pain, and fatigue. There is no need to tell anyone to feel these emotions. But God tells us to tend our souls with joy, prayer, and gratitude. Feast on truth. Find joy. Thank God for everything at all times. Don’t allow the enemy to rewire your brain-yield your heart and mind to God alone. This is the true resistance.

The Bible says to guard your heart. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life,” Proverbs 4:23 ESV.

I knew of a woman who, during the COVID lockdown, refused everyone’s advice and kept the news running in her home 24-hours a day. One morning, her teenage daughter found her dead from a stroke in her chair in front of the TV screen. Death can come to us in more than physical ways. We can become numb emotionally, overwhelmed mentally, and like the walking dead spiritually.

The war happens on any fronts. One of those fronts is our own minds, hearts, and souls.

If you need prayer, please comment below. Share wisdom. Share truth. Share Scriptures that comfort and guide. I respond to every comment and reply to every email. You are loved and you are NOT alone.

Five ways to Guard Your Heart During the War https://t.co/Ls4AUcJHmW #Jesus #PrayForIsrael

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) October 21, 2023