What’s Flowing from Your Heart Today?
Have you ever gotten behind an individual who was displaying a Christian bumper sticker or fish on the back of their vehicle and noticed them to be extremely rude, sometimes graphically rude toward other drivers? Maybe that individual happens to be you or someone close to you?
How often do you stop and think before you speak or before you go off on someone? Do you ever just stop and ask yourself if what you are about to do would be pleasing to the LORD? Do you ever just stop and think about the image you are painting for the lost world of what a “Christian” is? You might say you can’t help it or you are working on it or your parents made you that way; but, I have to say excuses never make a wrong—right!
Jesus addressed similar situations when He said: “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A 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. What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:43-45 NLT).
To put that into perspective, if you have an uncontrolled temper, mouth, actions, these are all indicators of a much more serious heart problem. Jesus made it clear that good fruit—good actions, good words—will flow out of a good heart. A bad heart cannot produce what is good just as a good heart will not produce what is evil or bad.
When you have heart issues and you occasionally put them out on display for others to see and hear, you are not only hurting yourself but you are hurting the cause of Christ. When you try to share Christ with others or you talk about how awesome your church is or you invite others to join you for church, they immediately remember the evil that occasionally slips out of your life and desire nothing to do with it.
Jesus made it clear that “what you say flows from what is in your heart.” Your life is on public display for others to see. Maybe you have issues today and you know you do and you simply can’t control yourself? Surrender your life completely over to Jesus. Ask Him to cleanse your heart from the evil that still resides there and then make every effort to live a life that brings glory to GOD. Resist the temptation to speak evil; choosing rather to magnify Jesus through a life that brings glory to your Father above. You can do it!
Scripture Reading: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35 HCSB).
Prayer: Father in heaven, I realize my words and actions do not always please You nor do they honor and glorify You. I am so sorry. I ask You to please help me to overcome this obstacle in my life by purifying my heart. Lord, make my heart clean so my life will be clean. I pray that my testimony is no longer hindered or hurt by an out-of-control life but that people see Jesus in and through all my words and deeds. Thank You, Father, for helping me through this…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!
Preacher Danny's Truth for Today 