March 25: “One Way to Know the Condition of Your Heart”

6 Minute Read

TODAY’S BIBLE READING:

Deuteronomy 4:1-49
Luke 6:39–7:10
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 11:28

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Luke 6:45 (CSB): “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It is easy to think that we are doing incredibly well in our Christian walk when, in reality, we are far away from the Lord. Our heart is very capable of deceiving us.

Jeremiah 17:9 (CSB): “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable — who can understand it?”

It is possible to show up to church and participate in the worship … and yet have hearts that are far away from the Lord.

Matthew 15:8 (CSB): “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Friend, the Bible is clear that this is not a small matter. God wants our hearts.

Jesus demonstrated in His interactions with the Pharisees that God can’t stand it when someone superficially looks holy but has a heart separated from Him.

He wants all of our heart!

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT): “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him…”

Jeremiah 29:13 (CSB): “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

Matthew 22:37-38 (CSB): “He (Jesus) said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.'”

So, how can we know the true condition of our heart? How can we know what is really going on inside of us?

It may seem like an exercise in futility to discover the true condition of our heart … but it’s not. Jesus gave us a very easy way to determine our heart’s health.

Luke 6:45 (CSB): “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”

Friend, Jesus said that what comes out of our mouth testifies loud and clear to the condition of our heart.

We desperately want to separate the two. We want to believe that the mouth and the heart are not connected.

“I know that they have a problem with gossip … but they have a good heart.”

“I know that they won’t forgive someone who wrongs them and sometimes let slanderous words come out of their mouth as they seek a little revenge … but they have a good heart.”

“I know that they have a temper and periodically say hurtful words … but they have a good heart.”

Jesus wouldn’t agree with any of the previous statements or any others like them. He says that the heart and mouth are connected.

But, it isn’t just the ugly things that come out of our mouths that testify to the health of our heart. Our speech also testifies to the priorities of our heart.

We are currently in the season of March Madness. Televisions are tuned into college basketball and passion is at an all-time high.

When you show up to church or engage in conversation with people, basketball is often the topic on people’s lips. There’s certainly nothing wrong with basketball. I am enjoying watching my Murray State Racers and Kentucky Wildcats.

But, when people passionately talk of basketball (or anything else) and rarely if ever speak of Jesus or Scripture, they make it clear that their heart has priorities … and Jesus isn’t that important to them.

But its even more serious than that. If there is clearly something more important to us than Jesus, then whatever that thing is, it is our god. If Jesus isn’t first place in our life, then we are serving another god. How do we know if we are serving another god? Simply by listening to what comes out of our mouth.

Friend, Jesus says that the heart and the mouth are inseparably connected. What comes out of the mouth is a clear testimony to the condition of the heart.

Luke 6:45 (CSB): “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”

Matthew 12:34-37 (CSB): “Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

So, what comes out of your mouth?