Saturday, January 18, 2014
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"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34)
Jesus indicts the Pharisees by using this saying: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Having seen Jesus heal a man, who was blind and mute, by casting out the demon who oppressed him, the Pharisees called Jesus evil (an agent of the prince of demons; cf. 12:22-24). How could they see Jesus do such a great thing and call it evil? That evil criticism was in their heart and from that same heart they spoke evil words.
I'm learning two great lessons from this Scripture that I'd like to share.
(1) Our conversation often reveals our what's in our hearts. I've found that when I have spoken in negative, critical, judgmental ways it was because I was dealing with those things in my heart. The opposite has also been true. When I've spoken life, blessing, and encouragement it was because that was in my heart, also. Being aware of how I speak to people helps me to keep a finger on what is going on in my own heart. But there is another benefit. It is amazing that we can hear the hearts of people and be of great support to them if we take time to listen to what is coming out of their mouths. So often people just need/want someone to listen to them, not to solve or fix them. Praying with someone after we've listened to their heart opens the door for God to speak solutions or wisdom into their situation.
(2) What I put into my heart affects what comes out of my mouth. Reading the Scriptures each day and thinking about them throughout the day builds up my heart. When we are thinking and acting out the word we find ourselves also speaking the word (Psalm 37:30-31). But there is another benefit to this as well. The word of God has a healing affect on our soul and our body when we speak it. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Jesus says, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).
What do your conversations sound like? How is your heart doing today? If it's not where you want it to be right now, don't be discouraged. Jesus daily invites us to pour out our hearts to him so that He can make room for us to be poured into (Matt. 11:28). The choice is really ours to either to accept His words and find life or to reject them.
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The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. (Psalm 37:30-31)
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)
Kenny Sullivan
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