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.

Luke 6:45 (CSB)

“Be careful little eyes what you see,

Be careful little ears what you hear,

Be careful little hands what you do,

Be careful little feet where you go…”

God’s Word reminds us again and again that what we put into our hearts and minds always finds a way out (Luke 6:43-45, Matthew 12:34, Proverbs 4:23, Ephesians 4:29; Mark 7:20-23).

Much like a coffee cup filled to the brim, when we are shaken or jostled, whatever is inside us spills out. This is why, despite what the world tries to tell us, our words DO matter. Our words reveal the state of our hearts.

• Hateful words reveal a wrathful heart (Proverbs 10:12).
• Worried words reveal a fearful heart (Proverbs 12:25).
• Covetous words reveal a greedy heart (Ezekiel 33:31).
• Vulgar words reveal an unclean heart (Ephesians 5:4).

A clever person can cover their words in honey, but the truth of their hearts will come out of their mouths eventually, either behind closed doors or right out in public. Sometimes the world has creeped in so slowly that we are deceived into thinking we can speak vulgarities or tell offensive jokes and not become a vulgar or offensive person, but the truth is by the time it comes out of our mouths, it’s already soaked into our hearts. That’s why it’s so important to be careful of the shows we watch, the books we read, the conversations we entertain, the people with whom we fellowship – their influence is in our hearts.

Parents and grandparents, it’s crucial also to be careful of what our children see and hear and with whom they spend time because their hearts fill up before their mouths overflow. By the time we hear the difference in them, the source of that undesired speech, whether it be rebellious and disrespectful toward you or cruel toward someone else or even self-deprecating, has already sank into their hearts.

Thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who can wash our hearts and set us apart from the influences of the world (1 John 1:9), but personally I’d rather avoid getting stained and smelly and needing a trip through the spiritual washing machine. I’ve been through it a few times before and it’s not always a gentle cycle.

So sweet friends, maybe there are some tv shows you need to think about letting go. Maybe there are some movies you’d be better off walking out of or choosing not to attend. Maybe there are some songs you’ll be skipping on your favorite streaming app. Maybe become more mindful of the conversations you expose yourself to and maybe you’ll need to try to change the topic or excuse yourself from the table more often than you’d realized.

As awkward or uncomfortable as they be, as small as they may seem, these changes will do wonders for the state of your heart. And beloved, these tiny sacrifices are no trouble at all in light of the mighty sacrifice that Christ made to save our souls 2,000+ years ago.

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