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by Kevin Pauley
For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. – Matthew 12:34b-35
A blind man once sat in a very popular park. He loved to sit there and listen to all the activities in the beautiful place. One day, there was a sudden influx of noise as though a great crowd was gathering. He overheard some people say, “Oh, the food is delicious! I’m stuffed! This is the best I’ve eaten in a while!”
The blind man thought to himself, “A great banquet must be going on!”
Then he heard some of the folks exclaiming, “Oh, there are our friends! Isn’t that Uncle Harry? Let’s go dancing!”
And the blind man thought to himself, “This must be a party!”
But then he heard expressions of love and commitment. He heard sacred words being spoken and heard the quiet hush of reverence as vows were spoken. “Ah!” He thought to himself, “This is a wedding!”
What do people hear when they’re around you? Would people be able to guess that you are wedded to the Son of God? Do they hear words of love and commitment falling from your lips? Is there a quiet hush of reverence in your spirit?
The Master told us that our words, our conversation, reveals the condition of our heart. “A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. You 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. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)
The Teacher agreed, saying, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.” (Proverbs 27:19) and “Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.” (Proverbs 20:11)
If I were to set a cup in front of you, jostled it and coffee sloshed out, what would you assume is in the cup? Coffee, of course! It’s elementary logic. What sloshes out of our mouths when we are jostled reveals the condition of our hearts.
If the blind man were near you today, what would he think?
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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