“Every wounded being is compelled to transform.“ — Boris Cyrulnik

Among the biblical recommendations concerning the things we must carefully guard and watch over, there are those that relate to our heart. In the Bible, the heart, beyond referring to the muscular organ located in the chest cavity that pumps blood through the body, is also a metaphor used to designate the whole human being or their inner self.

As David Allen believes, the heart also represents the deepest part of the human being, where all dimensions of the person converge: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. It is the quintessence of who we truly are, as well as the source or center of our emotions, affections, feelings, intentions, attitudes, behaviors, and will. Thus, sometimes in place of the word “soul”, the Bible uses the word “heart”, leading René Lambroise to consider these two terms as interchangeable and synonymous.

We can observe this equivalence in the following passages:
In 1 Samuel 2:1, after the birth of Samuel, Hannah said that her “heart” rejoices in the Lord;
In Proverbs 14:10, it is written that the “heart” knows its own bitterness;
In Mark 7:20–23, Jesus teaches that what defiles a person comes from the “heart”, from which evil thoughts and other vices proceed;
And in 1 Peter 1:22, the apostle exhorts us to holiness:

“Having purified your souls, love one another fervently from a pure heart.“

The heart, which can rejoice, know sorrow, produce evil thoughts, and be the seat of love, is none other than our soul. It is in this light that the author of the book of Proverbs (4:23) exhorts us by saying:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.“
The Annotated Neuchâtel Bible strengthens this meaning: “Guard your heart more than anything that can be guarded.”

Reading this verse naturally brings a question to mind: Why is our heart (or soul) so important that it would merit such a strong command? Is it just an exaggeration? Certainly not. What the Bible says in this passage is simply due to four main reasons, which also constitute the roles of the soul.

INFLUENCE ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE

We must guard our heart more than anything else because the state of our soul always influences the quality of our life. Just as the physical heart can transmit life to the entire body, so too does the soul transmit life. The author of Proverbs affirms that from our heart—our soul—flow the springs of life.
Gladys K. Mwiti and Al Dueck affirm that the state of our soul has the power to affect positively or negatively that of our body and even our spirit. This can help you understand certain passages such as:

“This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.“ — 1 Samuel 1:7

“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.“ — Psalm 31:10

Speaking of Hannah, she spent a great part of her life being tormented by her rival Peninnah because of her barrenness. Both were married to the same man, Elkanah, and after being constantly provoked, her soul was affected to the point where she wept and could not eat. The bitterness in her soul caused a loss of appetite. Also, speaking of David in Psalm 31:10, the Bible reveals that grief had worn out his face, his soul, and his body. The wounds of the soul had affected their physical well-being, thus creating dysfunctions in their bodies.

But beyond affecting the normal functioning of the physical body, inner wounds can also cause dysfunction at the level of your spirit. Proverbs 15:13 reveals:

“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.“

When the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. Sadness in the heart can weigh down the spirit. Do you see? There is a visible link between the heart and a person’s state of mind. That is why, if left unhealed, certain inner wounds can lead to practices which, if nurtured, will open the door to demonic activities that, in turn, will negatively affect the state of your spirit…

This text is an excerpt from the book “HEALING INNER WOUNDS” written by Rémy BISAGA.

We invite you to read the next article “Left Untreated, They Get Worse.”