The wellspring of life...

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Proverbs 4:23  
  The New Living Translation says, "Guard your heart for it determines the course of your life." Your heart is the core of who you are. Its your inmost being. Its what you think about when you're alone, what you desire, and the definition of your true character. Your heart is a precious thing. Its purpose is to love... and to love deeply. Thats what it was made for. Since it has that characteristic to love and purity, there are so many things in this world that are after it. So many things that want your attention and want the essence of who you are, because once they have that... they have you. This is why its so crucial to guard your heart, above everything else. Its the most important area of your life... its YOU. God is after your heart, along with all of the other temporary pleasures of this world, but unlike the world, he gave up something so that He could have your heart. A gift of love in exchange for your heart... your essence.
  My realization of beauty in all of this is that your heart is a gem... a pure gem. It has value. Guard it. Watch what goes into it through your eyes and ears, because the things we watch and listen to have a way of changing the way we see and believe things. So don't let the things of this world tamper with it and scratch up your gem. Let God have first place. He longs for that position in your heart. The one that no other can fill, and this comes by giving Him your attention. It can start by simply acknowledging that He is there with you... and then continue to give Him your attention by talking to Him and spending time with Him. There is nothing more that God longs for than spending time with you, His beloved. He longs to romance you. He wants to win the key to your heart, by showing you that He already has through His Son.