From the Overflow of the Heart

　　By Michelle Lazurek

　　Bible Reading:

　　“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Matthew 12:34

　　Ministry life has its share of ups and downs. In the 25 years that I've been in the pastoral ministry, we've had some great church experiences and not-so-great church experiences. In one church, the church hurt was, at times, unbearable. People we thought were friends spoke to leadership behind our backs, gossiped about us to leaders and congregation members, and did everything they could to destroy our reputation. As much as I tried to resolve the hurt, it took many years for me to process all the emotions associated with those hurtful experiences.

　　But during that time of healing, my words were not as positive as they could have been. I found myself snapping at my kids, fighting with my husband, and saying hurtful things to congregation members in the name of correction. In one particular meeting with the church member, I corrected their behavior but used character assassination. At that moment, I'd become no better than the church members who gossiped about me behind my back.

　　Although I'm happy to say I live in freedom because of Jesus Christ today. But those years were tough as I dealt with the deep, huge emotions that came with grief. No matter how hard I tried, I projected that grief onto others to temporarily relieve my hurt and pain. In my yearning for justice, I wielded my words like a sword to get it.

　　Jesus understood this battle as well. Jesus saw the Pharisees who understood the law used it to lord it over the people of the towns. They wanted the glory for themselves, not God. They wanted to demonstrate that they followed God's law, but only in name. They said one thing and did another. In the above verse, Jesus understood their hearts. He perceived their motives. Their motives were evil, filled with hatred and jealousy over the attention everyone paid Jesus.

　　We speak what is in our hearts. If our hearts are filled with grief and pain, our words will reflect that. Life can be challenging. It is filled with difficult situations, hurtful betrayals, and deep emotional pain. But it is our job as Christ’s followers not only to resolve that pain but to walk in the freedom that Jesus wants for us. Many passages in the Bible speak about the damage we can do with our tongues.

　　When we say hurtful words to others, we ruin our reputation and Christ's reputation. Jesus was kind to those who sought after him and generally wanted his healing touch. If people wanted to know Jesus more intimately, Jesus went after them. But he understood the Pharisees. He knew they looked the part and said all the right things, but on the inside, their hearts were full of malice.

　　Take a minute to analyze your words. Do you find you snap at your children? Do you find yourself getting into petty spats with your spouse? Do you think evil and murderous thoughts that invade your mind regularly? Examine your words and write them down for one week. Do you find you speak more negative words than positive ones? If so, your heart may have a wound that needs to be healed. It can be as small as a stress caused by an overfilled to-do list or frustration in meeting your goals. It can also be as big as a spouse's betrayal, a prodigal child, or church hurt at the hands of respected leaders. Whatever the case may be, discover what you can do to resolve it.

　　Wounds need to be cleaned to be healed. Whenever we cut or wound our skin, we need antiseptic to clean out the bed bacteria and allow healing to begin. Wounds that go uncleaned become infected. Infection can do significant damage to our bodies if left unchecked. The fruit of the spirit is the salve we need to heal ourselves from the deep wounds that have hurt our hearts.

　　We no longer hold our tongues when we forgive others, resolve our anger, and walk in freedom. We will then speak words of love, peace, and hope to all around us. Because of this, God will be glorified, and we will walk in freedom, too.

　　Father, let us be people who walk in freedom. Let our words reflect what's in our hearts. Help us resolve our anger, wounds, and pain that may inhibit us from speaking life to others. May your presence be the salve we need to heal our hearts and walk in freedom in you. Amen.

　　Intersecting Faith Life:

　　Reflect on a time when your heart may have been wounded. What did you do to resolve that hurt? What can you do to resolve it today?

　　Further Reading:

　　Luke 6:45

　　Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Adene Sanchez

　　Michelle S. Lazurekis a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spritual Reset Podcast. Her new children’s bookHall of Faithencourages kids to understand God can be trusted. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her websitewww.michellelazurek.com.

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