TALKING POINTS
Guard your heart
Norman Hamilton reflects on the challenges of guarding our hearts and minds, as followers of Christ.
O
n your guard, please! someone to devour.” Almost certainly you have recognised attempts The book of Proverbs is crystal clear in one of its core to trick you in some way – for trickery, attempted messages: “Above all else guard your heart, for everything you scams and fake offers of all kinds are rampant. do flows from it” (4:23). This is followed through with clarion Personally speaking, every day I receive fake emails, text calls to personal integrity. “The integrity of the upright guides messages, automated phone calls as well as live ones – often them” (11:3). “Righteousness guards the person of integrity” promising riches, or warning me of some impending disaster if (13:6). “The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but I don’t respond. Indeed, while preparing this article, my mobile he delights in those whose ways are blameless” (11:20). phone rang, and a recorded message informed me that I was The key to integrity is knowing what God expects of us. And under investigation for a tax fraud. I’m not panicking just yet! a good starting point of what the Bible means by that comes And on top of the scams, there is a multi-billion industry from an unexpected source. Every elected local councillor, working hard to influence us in some way MLA and MP is required to give a or another, for we are all too easily allured …any follower of Christ written undertaking to do their work by what comes along, often in a very with integrity, which is described in must be fully alert to the these words: “(They) must avoid placing attractive and interesting way. For example, every time you log on to the real need…to guard themselves under any obligation to internet, you are constantly tracked so that people or organisations that might try what we see, what we you can receive ‘relevant’ or ‘personalised’ inappropriately to influence them in their ads. Have you noticed just how quickly They should not act or take decisions take in, and how we react work. an ad appears on your screen reflecting in in order to gain financial or other material some way the very thing that has had your to the myriad of benefits for themselves, their family, attention in the previous few minutes? or their friends. They must declare and pressures and And have you thought carefully about resolve any interests and relationships.” the influence of WhatsApp or Facebook Whilst clearly not the whole picture, allurements. or Instagram (or TikTok) on yourself, or it only requires some small tweaks to on the young people around you? And what about the influence these words to see something of what integrity looks like to of the soap operas on TV, or the interpretation of the news on the faithful follower of Christ: “I must avoid placing myself social media (or in newspapers, if you read them)? under any obligation to people or organisations that might And when you go shopping, be absolutely assured that try inappropriately to influence me. I should not act or take Amazon, Tesco and others know far more about you than your decisions in order to gain improper financial or other material family does if you use their products or a loyalty card. Make benefits for myself, my family, or my friends. I must take care to no mistake, we are under constant surveillance 24/7 by people resolve any conflict of interests or broken relationships.” and organisations who want to shape the way we think, the way To be constantly on our guard is really quite demanding, we act or react, how we spend our money and perhaps most whether we are dealing with scams or unhealthy attractions and chilling of all, the way we spend our time. The bottom line for temptations. But the wonderful promise of Scripture is there Facebook is that it is explicitly designed to distract us from to help us on our way: “I know, my God, that you examine our doing other things. The more time we spend on Facebook, the hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there” (1 Chronicles more ads we see, and the more revenue goes to the company. 29:17). All this leads me to plead that any follower of Christ must be Clearly, a much better way to live! fully alert to the real need not only to guard the credit card, but also the need to guard what we see, what we take in, and how we react to the myriad of pressures and allurements. These pressures are also something of a modern parable on the need to live with integrity, and guard against the trickery Rev Dr Norman Hamilton and fakery of Satan as he seeks to undermine the health of our souls and the health of our minds. How easy it is to set aside Very Rev Dr Norman Hamilton is a former the warning in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for Ireland.
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Herald Autumn 2021
