What's in Your Heart?

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." Luke 16:45

It does not take spending much time on social media, or simply watching the news for that matter, to understand the current quality and content of communication and interaction in society today.  It is not unusual to see conversation deteriorate into vitriolic name calling and character assassination over the most mundane things.  Interestingly enough, this is particularly prevalent when things can be said in relative anonymity. Tragically, membership in the household of faith does not seem to exempt some from engaging in wars of words or the levying of aspersions.

When considering the source of some of the amazing things people say to one another, the answer is obvious: it comes from the heart.  While we are typically expressing something honestly and earnestly when we claim that it comes from "the bottom of our hearts," it is suggested that nearly everything, good or bad, that comes out of our mouths, does.  More succinctly put, it cannot come out of us unless it exists within us.  A current credit card asks the question, "What's in your wallet?" We must consider, "What's in our heart?"

The good news, beloved, is that the soothing, comforting, reassuring and encouraging words we speak also come from the heart.  While these things can surely be insincere, the truth is born out over time by other factors that will support or discredit them.  It is written of the tongue, "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not be this way.  Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?" Jam 3:9-11.  Instead, we are encouraged to "let (y)our speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person" Col 4:6.  In order for us to be able to accomplish this, we must continually strive to sow goodness internally so that it may be shared externally.

Let us remember that it is not those things that we take in that can corrupt us, but those things that come out of us (Mk 7:14-15).  Seek righteousness that we may: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from (y)our mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear" Eph 4:29.  This surely pleases God.

In pursuit of a transformed life,

Lee