Watching the Heart

I will watch my words to consider the state of my heart.

Verses

Proverbs 15:28 (VOICE)

The right-living think before they speak,
    but wrongdoers simply spew evil.

Luke 6:45 (VOICE)

It’s the same with people. A person full of goodness in his heart produces good things; a person with an evil reservoir in his heart pours out evil things. The heart overflows in the words a person speaks; your words reveal what’s within your heart.

Father God, I guess this heart-words thing is pretty important to you. It seems that so many Scriptures remind us to be careful about what we speak and that the words that slip out of our mouths actually reveal the state of our heart.

But God, so often it isn’t until those words come out, that we actually recognize there’s something in our heart that needs your attention.

And then, it feels too late. The damage is done. 

Please, God, give us the courage to own our words, no matter when they come out, and seek you quickly for healing and hope so that there can be better overflow from our hearts. Father, please give us humility to seek forgiveness from those we might have hurt with our carelessly spoken words, too.

In the Strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

I will watch my words to consider the state of my heart.

I confess, it really does feel like we’re going around the same mountain again and again and again and yet again as we tackle this topic about minding our words and the state of our hearts.

It must be that the Lord really wants us to understand the power of our words and the matters of the heart.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could tackle it once and for all? And yet, the truth is that our hearts are in constant state of flux. The triggers are endless. From something someone says to the way we catch a glimpse of ourselves in a mirror. To the color of the sky or even smell of summer in the air. People trigger us. Seasons trigger us. Moments trigger us.  But I find one of the worst triggers to be social media. Is this the case for you too?

I came to the conclusion that Facebook is a drain on my soul long before the reports came out testifying about its impact. The research I did on social media and screens was enough to confirm the problem and spurred me on more intentionally on how to manage it.

It’s not that it is just a jealousy trigger for me, as I see the beautiful vacations and home remodels and social gatherings my “friends” are all blessed with experiencing. I’m keenly aware that my own postings may trigger others the exact same way, which often makes me not want to post at all. I don’t want to cause a sister to stumble. Not in real life and not through a screen.

You and I both know full well that what we see on the screen is one-dimensional, and yet, it doesn’t seem to be a truth that stops our heart-ugly response. No one posts about their failing marriages and wayward children and their struggle with chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or inability to ever lose the weight.

We only share our successes, while hiding our everyday losses.

I battle the jealousy trigger with gratitude along with minimizing my usage, but it’s actually the posting for prayers around health crisis situations that wrecks my heart even more. I feel hard and deep for those battling for their lives. I want to offer words of encouragement and prayer support. However, I don’t think God ever intended my heart to carry the weight of 1000 “friends” on my shoulders. Statistically speaking, the more people I know, the more I’ll be acquainted with pain. Have you felt this too?

My heart isn’t able to endure news of another diagnosis every day of the week.

It’s this kind of news that makes me anxious and irritable, moody and short-tempered. Can you relate? I get off my screen with a heavy heart and then hurt the ones in my midst with biting remark.  The fact is that there are so many triggers that cause our heart to go awry and our words to be regrettable. Our hearts soak everything up, so shall we be proactive in minimizing the everyday triggers, especially the ones that come from social media exposure?

What are the triggers that sets off your heart and causes your words to flow from a place of pain rather than His love?


 

Brave Together: A Conversation Starter for Cultivating Biblical Mentoring Relationships

To continue this journey of living brave and inviting the next generation to join you in the journey, get a copy of Brave Together: A Conversation Starter for Cultivating Biblical Mentoring Relationships.

Available in paperback on Amazon or click the button to purchase the downloadable PDF version.

[purchase_link id=”29428″ text=”Add to Cart” style=”button” color=”dark-gray”]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Question? 

We're here to help you!

CONTACT US

This is the one thing that will help you find what you need.

Drop us your name and email so that we can send you the Align Life Strategy workbook. 

Scroll to Top