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The tongue and heart


Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Death does not mean annihilation, but separation. A bad comment to your spouse will lead to separation and a good one can lead to a healthy connection. In the space of 12 hours, one of my sons told me he didn’t like me anymore, which crushed my heart and later on whispered to me “it's you and me forever daddy”, for which I felt like giving him a car.

There is something powerful about the things we say. I like to think that our words are either fertilizer or poison in our friendships, emotions, mental state, spirit; in everything. 

What you’re saying will either build or destroy.

Proverbs 12:18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 13:3 Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 15:4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

It's a basic concept I know, but if it were as easy as saying just “watch your mouth” or “talk better” we’d be done! But James 3:7 says that people can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue.

I believe no one can tame the tongue, mainly because well before anything rolls off your tongue there is something in your heart. If you’re trying to stop swearing, purity is a heart thing not just a discipline thing. If you’re pessimistic, faith is a heart thing, not a discipline thing.

Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” 

This means that those words didn’t just appear out of your mouth - they’ve come from somewhere; your heart!

When your heart is in a certain condition it is easy to diagnose, because your words are leaking it out. Our words can be seen as a thermometer to see our hearts' temperatures.

Question 1: What are your words like in different situations?
Question 2: What does this say about your heart's condition?
Question 3: In your time with God, ask Him to help you identify heart problems and how to see them transform.