Heart Checks

I was reading Matthew chapter 15 today.  Versus 17-20 spoke to me. 

Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

Before these verses, the Pharisees came to Jesus asking why his disciples break the tradition and do not wash their hands before they eat bread.  Verses 17-20 were the explanation to his disciples.

 I began to think about the fact that what is in my heart comes out of my mouth.  But I quickly wanted to quit thinking about that.  However, even dwelling on those things for a moment, gave me a good gauge of some areas that need attention.  We truly need to pay attention to what we are saying.  Obviously thinking before speaking would be the best, but since we do not always do that, thinking about what we have said is the next best.  If we will allow ourselves to take time to dwell on our words, the Lord will be quick to show us what needs to change, and hopefully once revealed we will be quick to repentance.   Taking the time to allow the Lord to show us things we have said will help us to continually keep our hearts in check.  If we can make these heart checks a habit, there should be fewer things to change.    This will get our hearts into a healthy place, allowing the Lord to shine even brighter through us.

A More Excellent Way

The Lord led me back to 1 Corinthians 13 today.  I have heard and read this so many times, it’s like blah blah blah.  Really?  Why do I so easily dismiss the word of the Lord no matter how many times I have read it?  That was the first blow.  But I read it again.  Then I read the chapter before, because it matters to see what has been happening before we got to this point.  I saw something interesting.  Chapter 12 is about spiritual gifts, that we all have different ones and are to play a different role in the body.  The very last verse in chapter 12 “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.  And I show you still a more excellent way”.  More excellent than any of the gifts He has given to us?  LOVE! 

1 Corinthians 13               

    ¹ If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.    ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, ⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, ⁶ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.    ⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. ¹³ But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

This really just hit home today.  I really saw this chapter, love is more important than even the giftings He has given us.  Above anything else we are to love.  I think we tend to take love lightly.  The word in greek for love in the above passage is Agape, and is set apart from Eros – romantic love and Phileo – brotherly love. 

Agape love is sacrificial and not based on our feelings, but rather a determined act of will.  It is about putting others above ourselves.  This is obviously not something that comes easy to us; we must look to the source of love, God.  He is love and only He can show us how to love like He does.  We must look past the faults of others and be determined to show them love no matter what. 

I want this in my life.  I want to learn to love more and better.  I want to take this more seriously, Love is important!  Without love, I am nothing!