Guard your heart
By Jean Ricot Dormeus
The story of the Trojan horse has always caught my attention. So called Greek deserters persuaded the Trojans that a wooden horse offering to Athena would make Troy impregnable. The horse entered the city gates despite Cassandra’s warnings. That night, Greek warriors emerged from it and opened the gates to let in the returned Greek army.
The image of the Trojan horse dawned on me when Pastor Parry told me his experience about listening to a popular song on a public transport bus. In the Caribbean, many bus drivers play loud songs to entertain passengers. The pastor liked the melody and beat of the song, even though the violent and lewd lyrics bothered him. For a couple of days, his efforts were vain to take his mind off that music.
Like it or not, our subconscious mind is impressionable. We take the influence of elements in our environment, especially when we happen to like them, in part or whole. Although they initially go against our values, we get familiar with them and end up practicing them. Actually they act like a Trojan horse, an apparent gift effect that eventually shackles our willpower.
The US financial and business news website Business Insider reports: “If you put your face right in front of a young baby and stick out your tongue, the baby will stick out his or her tongue too… It’s an example of the built-in, wired-into-our-brain capacity we have for imitation.”
The following quote by an unknown author speaks volumes, “If the seed doesn’t get planted, it can’t become a toxic thornbush. We must guard our minds and our hearts, starting with our eyes.” That’s exactly what King Solomon taught several millenniums ago, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Prov 4:23 (NIV)
Our heart, that is our thoughts and emotions, control our future. Guard it from toxic gifts and wrong influence.
Jean Ricot Dormeus
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