The Good Treasure of the Heart

The words you speak reflect what is in your heart! “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

Whenever I said something naughty as a child, my mother washed out my mouth with soap. But it wasn’t my mouth that needed cleansing, it was my heart. You see, your tongue speaks only what is in your heart. Jesus said that loose, careless, evil talk can come only from an evil, unclean heart.

As believers, we have not yet taken seriously what our Lord has said about taming our tongues. He has made it a heart issue — a matter of life and death. Not only does your careless tongue discount all your supposed spirituality, it also makes you face the indisputable fact that your heart is unclean, defiled.

If you engage in gossip, unkind remarks, criticism, lying, filthy language, angry outbursts, you can be certain that something in your heart has not been dealt with by the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives this matter serious thought when he says, “If you are careless with your tongue — quarreling, complaining, murmuring, tattling — you have a serious heart problem and it goes very deep.”

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bring forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35).

No minister or Christian is exempt from this warning of the Lord. Jesus says to check your heart and find out why you still speak carelessly. Do not be casual about the words you speak. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of something you have said, I urge you to repent and then allow him to turn your negative words into blessing. Cursing and blessing cannot proceed out of the same mouth (see James 3:10).

The secret to getting victory over your tongue is knowing him! Draw close to his presence and let him reveal what is in your heart.