Revealing My Heart

I'm ashamed to admit how often I am unkind to and critical of my family. Usually it is a tone of voice that says you're bothering me, but that is all it takes to reveal my heart. If I am really living for God and surrendering everything to Him, I should not be thinking things that are critical and unkind. Yes, think, because before anything comes out of my mouth, it is in my mind. Even if there is nothing wrong with the words I am saying, my tone of voice and body language reveal my heart. If the things I am focusing on and thinking about are godly, then the words that I speak should be also.

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out fo the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.” Luke 6:45

What we think affects how we live!

It may seem like a few careless words don’t matter, but I still carry scars from unkind words spoken to me in my childhood. Words go deep and lodge themselves in the hidden places of our minds. They reappear when something happens to cause us to doubt ourselves.

It isn’t just our words that are affected by the condition of our hearts. I very easily fall into the trap of insecurity and feeling like I have no value when I drift away from God and His word. The further I fall into the trap, the more convinced I become that no one cares. As a result, I isolate myself from the people around me and continue to spiral downward. When that happens, I need to get back into the word of God and see what He says about me and reach out to show someone else God’s love.

God’s promises to me:

      He loves me

      He pursues a relationship with me

      His love casts out fear

      He sings over me

      He delights in me

      All things are possible in Him

       I can do anything through Him

      His plans are for my good, to give me a future and hope

      He has already planned good things for me to do.

It takes courage and faith to trust God and step out of the dark and I am learning to turn to Him more quickly when I fall into unhealthy thinking.

Lord, I pray that "the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)