The phrase “take heed to yourself” appears several times throughout the Bible, including in Deuteronomy 12:13. This verse comes in the midst of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. In this context, “take heed to yourself” means to be very careful to follow God’s commands.
Specifically, Deuteronomy 12:13 states: “Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, but at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.” This comes right after a warning not to follow the religious practices of the nations they were displacing in the Promised Land (Deut 12:2-4). Instead, the Israelites are commanded to seek out the place God would choose for them to offer sacrifices and worship him.
The phrase “take heed to yourself” or “take care” emphasizes the need for diligence and intentionality in following God’s instructions. It conveys the gravity of the command and the potential consequences of disobedience. Offering sacrifices anywhere other than the one place God appointed would be a serious offense.
Some key implications of this phrase in Deut 12:13 include:
- God’s commands are not to be taken lightly or carelessly.
- Paying attention to God’s word is vital for obedience.
- Intentional effort is required to follow God’s way rather than human inclinations.
- Zeal and earnestness characterize true obedience to God.
- Obeying God’s word leads to blessing; ignoring it leads to judgment.
While this passage dealt specifically with Old Testament sacrificial worship, the principle applies more broadly. As God’s people, we are called to pay careful attention to His word and exert focused effort to put it into practice. Rather than casually attempting to adhere to God’s commands, we are to zealously embrace and follow His instructions for how we are to live and worship.
The need for attentiveness is emphasized in other uses of this phrase as well:
- In Deut 4:9, Moses charged the Israelites to “take heed to yourself” lest they forget the things they had seen God do and fail to teach them to their children.
- Deut 4:15-16 uses the phrase to preface a warning against idolatry – they were to diligently watch themselves lest they make and worship idols.
- In Joshua 23:11, Joshua exhorted Israel to “take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.” Their love for God was to be intentional and zealous.
In the New Testament, Jesus used this terminology when instructing his disciples to “take heed to yourselves” and avoid the ungodly attitudes and hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Luke 17:3). The apostle Paul exhorted church leaders to “take heed to yourselves” by keeping watch over their flock and guarding against false teachers (Acts 20:28).
So in summary, the call to “take heed to yourself” means to be deeply attentive, purposeful, and zealous in obeying God’s commands. It is a charge to avoid complacency or halfheartedness in following God’s way. We must be diligent students of Scripture to understand what God asks of us and then exert great effort to put His words into practice by His grace and with His help.
1. The need for attentiveness and intentionality
When God gives a command in Scripture, it is vital that we pay close attention. His instructions are not optional suggestions, but authoritative divine imperatives. As Deuteronomy 12:13 indicates, we must be very careful to do exactly as God commands – not adding to it or taking away from it.
It takes focused mental effort to discern God’s word and understand what He is asking of us. We have to tune out all the distractions of life and regularly study the Bible to get to know God’s heart and His way of doing things. We should pray for insight from the Holy Spirit to illuminate our understanding of His words (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:14).
But attentiveness is only the first step. Once we comprehend God’s instructions, we then have to be intentional in putting them into practice. It takes purposeful, diligent effort to walk in obedience and incorporate God’s truth into the details of our daily lives. We have to remain watchful against temptations and be quick to repent when we do sin.
Our human tendency is to be lazy or apathetic regarding spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing. But Scripture calls us to enthusiastic devotion to God’s commands. We honor Him best when we are zealous and single-minded in our obedience by the power of the Spirit working in us (Romans 12:11, Hebrews 11:6).
2. Guarding against spiritual complacency
“Take heed to yourself” implies a level of earnestness that safeguards us from drifting into spiritual complacency. Complacency is dangerous because it leads to compromise. The less vigilant we are, the more vulnerable we become to sinful tendencies and ungodly influences.
It is easy to coast along in our walk with God and just adopt religious habits without much heart passion behind them. Outward Christian duties can be maintained while our inward love grows cold (Revelation 2:4). Self-examination is critical to assess the true state of our souls.
We must constantly evaluate whether we are maintaining a fervent devotion to Christ or slipping into lukewarmness (Revelation 3:15-16). Spiritual disciplines should be reinvigorated regularly by recommitting ourselves to the Lord. Our zeal is stirred up by meditating on the wonder of the gospel and God’s amazing grace toward us.
Complacency also leads us to neglect fellowship with other believers. We need encouragement and accountability from the body of Christ to keep our faith vibrant. Avoiding isolation and surrounding ourselves with people who will spur us on is key to avoiding spiritual stagnation (Hebrews 10:24-25).
3. Following God’s way, not our own inclinations
Left to ourselves, we will naturally choose convenience and comfort over obedience to God. Our flesh pulls us toward selfishness, pride, greed, and other sins.
That is why we must be grounded in Scripture and tuned in to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit living inside us. The Spirit gives us power to overcome the flesh and walk the righteous path (Galatians 5:16-17). But we have to submit to His lead rather than quenching or ignoring His promptings.
Part of taking heed to ourselves means examining our own hearts – our motivations, thought patterns, and desires. We cannot let ungodly influences and social pressures squeeze us into the world’s mold (Romans 12:2). Instead, we must fix our eyes on eternity and live in light of Jesus’ soon return.
Setting our minds on heavenly things is a conscious, deliberate choice we must make each day (Colossians 3:2). The renewal of our minds takes constant vigilance. We must immerse ourselves in Scripture to have our assumptions, values, and priorities transformed by God’s truth.
4. Avoiding potential judgment for disobedience
Deuteronomy provided stern warnings that failing to obey God’s commands would result in judgment – exile from the Promised Land was one consequence mentioned frequently. Years later, the people suffered exactly that fate when they fell into idolatrous sin and rejected God’s word.
As believers under the new covenant, we have security in our eternal salvation through Christ. But Scripture gives many sobering exhortations about God disciplining and chastening His people to bring us back to righteous living (Hebrews 12:4-11). Continual, unrepentant disobedience damages our fellowship with Him.
In 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, Paul said that those who partook of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner were judged by God with weakness, illness, and even death. This was disciplinary purging that we might not be condemned along with the world. But it illustrates the importance of taking heed to how we approach sacred things.
Though we do not obey God’s word to earn salvation, obedience and good works are presented as evidence of genuine saving faith (James 2:14-26, Matthew 3:8). If we are nonchalant about sin and disobeying clear commands, we may need to examine whether our faith is living and real.
5. Cultivating a zealous love for God
At its root, “take heed to yourself” is a call to wholehearted devotion to God fueled by love. We obey because we love Him and want to please Him. Our obedience flows from gratitude for His amazing grace rather than mere duty or religiosity.
Loving God requires cultivating our affection for Him. We do this by dwelling on His majesty revealed in creation and Scripture, His mercy and redemption through Christ, His patience and blessing in our lives. The more we comprehend His love for us, the more our love is kindled in return.
Zeal is loving God with intensity and fervency. It means making Him the absolute focus of our lives and pursuing His glory above all else. All other desires and distractions fade in importance compared to knowing Christ and making Him known (Philippians 3:7-9). That heart motivation propels us to obey with passion.
When we are completely captivated by the wonder of who God is, obedience ceases to be a burdensome chore. Instead, it becomes our joyful response to God’s free gift of grace. Each act of obedience draws us deeper in love with our Savior.
6. Examples of “taking heed” in the Bible
Besides the verses in Deuteronomy mentioned earlier, the Bible contains other instances that illustrate the attitude of taking heed:
- Psalm 119: The psalmist repeatedly asks God to help him pay attention to His word: “Make me walk in the path of your commands, for I delight in it” (v. 35); “Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless” (v. 37); “Turn my heart to your decrees and not to selfish gain” (v. 36).
- Proverbs 4: The father urges his son to, “Keep my commands in your heart. Guard my teachings as the apple of your eye” (vv. 4, 21). He calls him to zealous attentiveness.
- Mark 13: Jesus told His disciples to “take heed, watch” lest they be led astray by false Christs (v. 5). He warned them to “take heed to yourselves” and “take heed, watch and pray” (v. 9, 33).
- Luke 21: Jesus said to “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with…cares of this life” (v. 34). The disciples had to guard against distractions.
- 1 Timothy 4: Paul charges Timothy to “take heed to yourself and to the doctrine” (v. 16). Elders must watch their lives and teaching closely.
So we see the Bible repeatedly emphasizes the need for purposeful, zealous attentiveness to God’s word resulting in a life of obedience. This glorifies God and leads to blessing and fruitfulness.
7. Practical ways to “take heed”
How should this biblical exhortation shape our daily lives as believers? Here are some practical ways we can “take heed” and be vigilant in our walk with Christ:
- Study the Bible diligently – Don’t just skim superficial devotions. Dig in-depth to know God’s word.
- Evaluate priorities/schedule – Ensure time with God comes first, not just fitting Him in when convenient.
- Make specific obedience goals – Identify tangible ways you can obey God’s commands each day.
- Pray against complacency – Ask God to reveal areas of spiritual laziness or apathy that need renewal.
- Memorize Scripture – Hiding God’s word in our heart helps us resist temptation.
- Practice accountability – Share spiritual goals and struggles with other believers to have support.
- Examine heart motives – Why do you do what you do? Nurture love for God.
- Avoid compromising media – Guard your eyes and ears from influences that may desensitize you to sin.
- Stay alert to deception – Don’t be naive about the schemes of the devil and dangers of false teaching.
- Maintain childlike reverence – Don’t lose your awe of the holy God who humbles the proud.
The call to “take heed” ultimately comes down to grounded humility. We recognize apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). But by His grace, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We can’t let our gaze drift from Him.
8. Blessings of taking heed
Diligently taking heed to walk in God’s ways brings tremendous blessings:
- Deepened love relationship with God
- Confidence before God on judgment day (1 John 4:17-18)
- Reward in heaven for faithful service (Matthew 6:19-21)
- Joy of bearing much spiritual fruit (John 15:5, 8)
- Freedom from bondage to sin (John 8:31-32)
- Receiving more light and understanding from God (Proverbs 2:1-5)
- Delight of experiencing God’s presence (Psalm 16:11)
- Peace and contentment in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13)
- Stability and protection amidst trials (Psalm 125:1, Isaiah 26:3-4)
- Confidence to ask of God in prayer (1 John 3:21-22)
In contrast, the consequences of ignoring God’s word are tragic. Scripture warns about deception, hardness of heart, chastening, and loss of eternal reward for the unfaithful.
Of course, our obedience will always be imperfect in this life. But the Bible reassures believers in Christ that He intercedes for us when we do sin (1 John 2:1). He gives us all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). As we rely on His strength, we can indeed take heed and devote ourselves fully to Him in grateful service.
The more we grow in grace, the more taking heed becomes not an onerous chore – but an overflow of our Spirit-empowered love for our gracious Savior. Our passion and delight is to obey Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
9. Conclusion
In summary, the command to “take heed to yourself” occurs throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It emphasizes the need for deliberate, fervent attentiveness and obedience to God’s word.
This requires us to be vigilant against complacency and compromise. We must turn from sinful tendencies and inclinations and instead pursue God’s ways through His strength.
The diligence called for stems from love for God and gratitude for His mercy. It leads to the blessing of an enriched relationship with Him and greater fruitfulness in our lives.
May we all strive by His grace to take heed to ourselves with watching, praying, studying, memorizing, and applying His truth. And may our zeal for Him only grow as we walk in step with His Spirit each day.