Heart Problems

"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh...For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matthew 12:34,37 (King James Version Bible)

In the past 36 hours I have had three conversations with people who were really negative. They are nice enough folks, but all three have basically a pessimistic outlook on life. Maybe they needed to vent and I was the closest person. As I listened to the one woman, I visualized all the negative words spilling out of her mouth and all over the outdoor bench we were sitting on, and on to the ground. I know some of the words got on me, too, even though I tried to brush them off as soon as they hit me. What was spilling out of her mouth was what was in her heart.

There are times when we choose our words carefully. In a job interview, we think before we speak. On a first date, we use words to impress. Around small children, we watch our language. We consciously control what we say, but let the guard down just a little bit, and what fills our heart comes spilling out.

The negative talk is but a symptom of the underlying problem, a heart condition, if you will. Repair the heart and the speech will take care of itself. It's a conscious decision, what we choose to have fill our hearts.

Susan