Sunday, December 31, 2006

Framing Your World: Your Heart

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. (Matthew 12:34-35)
The worlds were framed by words — the Word of God (Hebrews 11:3). Jesus said that it will respond even to the words of your mouth, if you have faith in God and believe in your heart the words you speak with your lips (Mark 11:23). In other words, if your faith is in God, you have the ability to frame your world (the realm of your existence and the sphere of your influence).

Now, there is an important connection between your mouth and your heart. The effectiveness of your words is dynamically related to what is going on in your heart. As Jesus said, it is out of the abundance, or the overflow, of the heart that the mouth speaks. If you want to know what is going on in a person’s heart, listen to his mouth for a while.

Proverbs says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). The context is of a man who is pretending one thing with his words, but his real character and purpose are determined by his heart. And what is in his heart in abundance will soon give him away by his words as well as his deeds.

But here’s what I want you to notice: “As he thinks in his heart, so he is.” The Hebrew word for “think” means to reason out or calculate, but it comes from a root that means “to act as a gatekeeper.” Each of us acts as a gatekeeper, deciding what we will let into our heart and what we will keep out. Whatever you let into your heart in abundance will determine the kind of person you really are.

For some little biblical direction about what to fill your heart with, regular meditation in the book of Proverbs will bring you into much wisdom. Consider also Psalm 1:1-3; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1-2.

Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.” Your are the one who determines what kind of treasure will fill your heart. Out of the overflow of your heart, your mouth will speak, and so shall you frame your world.

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