GIVE ME THINE HEART
“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Proverbs 23:26
The heart is the center of our being. It is the place of devotion and affection. To whom should we give our hearts? This should be the appeal of every sincere parent, “My son, give me thine heart.” The Proverbs give many instances of the father and mother instructing, warning, and guiding the children. Children should give their hearts to the parents.
It should be natural for children to hold their parents in the highest regard. The desire of children ought to be to please their parents above all else. However, sin can certainly damage that relationship. The last words of the Old Testament, referring to John the Baptist, say, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).
This message definitely needs to be taken seriously in our day. Fathers need to turn their hearts to their children. Children need the love and attention of their parents. And children need to turn their hearts to their parents. This is something parents should be vigilant about. The Lord wants the parents to maintain a very special place in the hearts of their children. However, the temptation is real and powerful for young people to give their hearts to their peers. It is dangerous, yet very common, for children to be more concerned about pleasing their friends than their parents.
Not only should the hearts of children be given to their parents, but we all should know also that God wants us to give Him our hearts. This is certainly the will of our Heavenly Father. “My son, give me thine heart.” We are to give our hearts to God. He wants, and deserves, to have first place in our lives. The safest place for our devotion and affection is with God. We ought to love Him supremely. We should strive to please Him above all others. Neither anyone nor anthing should mean more to us than our Lord.
It is possible for us to be faithful in our church attendance, serve the Lord in various ways, and sing songs of praise to God and not really have our hearts surrendered to Christ. There will always be things such as responsibilities, friends, hobbies, careers, etc., that compete for the place that God wants in our hearts. We must not only guard our hearts, but make sure our Heavenly Father has them.