Matthew 12:33-37
Have you ever said something and as the words came out of your mouth, you wished you could put them right back in? Sometimes it is a joke that maybe you should not have said, maybe something hurtful to someone else, or an unintentional comment that just slipped out. Whatever the reason, our words matter, they matter to the people around us and Jesus teaches us how important our words are. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:34 that “…the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” When we understand our words are a reflection of our heart, our use of language changes.
I remember thinking in junior high cussing was cool. They said words in movies and older kids I looked up to would cuss, so I thought cussing must be needed. Fortunately, I had some great junior high leaders who helped me realize my words and my heart were tied together. They lived and spoke in a manner that did not reflect vipers, but reflected Jesus.
When we take time to walk with Jesus we see how what is stored up in our hearts flows out of our mouths. So, here is a question to think about for a moment, what is stored up in your heart?
I spoke to a friend the other day who told me how he came down on his son too harshly and as we talked, he told me he was raised in the same way and he didn’t like it. He did not mean for the words to cut his son deeply, but they did. In that moment, the hurt he had from his childhood came out. The same day I also witnessed a few people enjoying the bond of friendship and how their encouragement built each other up.
So what is stored up in your heart? What do you need to confess and let go of, what do you need to weed out that has taken root, what do you need more of, what fills up your heart with love and grace? All these things matter and I want to encourage you to take a few minutes today to think about your answers. Where you need help definitely go to God, he loves you. We are here as well, just let us know and we are happy to talk and pray.
Pastor Jeremy