33“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.34You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.35A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.36And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.37The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”We so often speak without thinking. In those moments our words come from our heart. I know I have said some awful things in my life when I wasn’t thinking. You can know a person by their thoughtless words, but more importantly you can know yourself by your own words. Even the jokes and funny comments you make reveal who you are. When wrong or someone says something mean to you, is your response anger (evil) or kindness (Jesus)? Do you encourage yourself and others, or discourage? Do you talk about people’s good qualities, or bad qualities? Is your heart full of Jesus, or yourself?
As I go over my own words, I see that they reveal even the particular sins in my life. I make little sexualized jokes sometimes and I know that my mind isn’t a pure as it should be. And I can try to stop the little innuendos, but that isn’t really the problem. The problem is a heart that still has room for lust when it should be full of love. What do you say that can tell you what you need to work on?
Lord Jesus, finish changing my heart. Make it pure, in every way. No lust or envy or anger, just full of You. For when my heart is full of only You, my words will be only Yours. Beginner’s Online Bible Study *obbs*
