More Than a Salt-free Diet

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Pr 4:23 AV)

 

To look at this verse in a purely physical way, one would conclude the Bible far ahead of medical science of the time.  Coronary health is by far, the most important of all.  As the ancients used to say, the heart is the first to live and the last to die.  As heart health goes, so goes the life.  The literalness of the verse above is astounding.  It just goes to prove how far advanced the word of God is compared to the knowledge of mankind.  That being said, I don’t believe Solomon was referring to a salt-free diet here.  Solomon is speaking metaphorically.  The definition of ‘…heart…’ here is important.  Often, we use the term ‘heart’ to mean the seat of emotions.  However, in the Hebrew mind, the term ‘heart’ is where all three portions of the individual meet.  The heart is where the mind, emotions, and will come together.  The heart is were center of the individual and is what determines his or her choices.  When Solomon tells his son to keep his heart, it is more than thinking right.  When Solomon teaches his son to keep his heart, is it more than emotional discipline.  When Solomon instructs his son to keep his heart, it includes more than mere conformity of the will.  Keeping the heart is the unification of the whole man into a way of life that gives life, and not death.

Life is a bit more complicated than it first appears.  There is often a balance that is maintained in order for life to be what it can be.  My wife and I are into cooking shows.  Especially the ones which exhibit more complicated skill.  The more complicated or sophisticated, the better.  There are two we are watching regularly.  They are competition-themed shows where the contestants must continue to improve from challenge to challenge.  One of the problems contestants consistently deal with is time management.  Everything is cooked from scratch.  That means there is a lot of prepping.  However, there are different ingredients with different cooking times.  The chef cannot concentrate on only one element of the dish.  He may have a protein, a sauce, and a side dish.  Depending on what they are, the chef has to be working on elements of all these components.  As the competition progresses, it is not so much technique as it is managing the clock which becomes the greatest of all challenges.  All the components must be plated at the last second and all at the same time.  The chef cannot prepare the protein and then set it aside for the remaining half of the time.  It will become soft and cold.  He cannot completely prepare the side and then move on to the protein.  There will not be enough time to cook the protein all the way through.  What the chef needs to do is consider the entire project and balance all tasks so the end product is completed all at once.

Solomon is telling his son to keep the entire man.  Discipline the emotions.  Learn truth in the laboratory of critical thinking.  Check the will and make it subservient to the right thing.  These things must come together at the right time.  Otherwise, one will overpower the other.  Or, two will ignore the third.  If keeping the will and the mind is not balanced with keeping the emotions, the emotions cancel out the other two.  If the will is stronger than the mind and emotions, the reason and commitment are canceled.  If the mind is stronger than the will or emotions, then justification for error determines our choices.  Solomon is telling us, as simple as can be put, self-discipline in all areas of our being is necessary to enjoy the fullest life of which God intends.  Keeping the entire person in subjection to the will of the Father is the only way in which we can truly enjoy the life of which the writer says:  the heart is the issues of life.