You may be in the habit of paying attention to the health of your physical heart, but are you also paying attention to the health of your spiritual heart? Scattered throughout the Proverbs are warnings about the dangers of certain attitudes that can infect our heart. The Proverbs also describe other attitudes that we should display.

On one hand, the Proverbs warn us about dangerous conditions of the heart. Proverbs 18:12 says “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?” If your body is ill, your spirit can still sustain you through that illness and see you through to the other side, but if your spirit is ill (i.e. broken or discouraged) that is truly a hard burden to bear. Be on the lookout for those who have a broken spirit and help them bear their heavy burden. As terrible as a broken spirit is, the Proverbs also warn us about an even more dangerous condition of the heart: pride. The proverb that we are all familiar with warns that “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Not only does pride incur terrible consequences, but it is also sinful. Proverbs 21:4 says “A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin.” The biblical warnings against pride should awaken us to the seriousness of the physical and spiritual consequences it brings. Let God take away your pride and replace it with a strong dependence on him.

On the other hand, the Proverbs tell us about the blessing and reward of other conditions of the heart. Proverbs 15:15 tells us that “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones,” (Proverbs 17:22). As Christians, we have every reason to rejoice. We don’t pretend that everything is good in the world (in fact we recognize and mourn the presence of real evil around us) but we do have an unshakeable hope in our Lord Jesus Christ no matter what happens in this life. Furthermore, we know that God gives us good things in this lifetime to enjoy as a sample of all the wonderful blessings he has in store in heaven (see 1 Timothy 6:17 and James 1:17). The Proverbs tell of one more heart condition that should characterize our entire life. It is found in Proverbs 28:14, which reads, “Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” The proverb announces that the person who is always reverent is happy, which is another way of saying he is blessed. This week, ask God to heal any brokenness in your spirit, to humble your pride, to fill you with joy in Christ, and to deepen your reverence for God.